Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Government last night urged residents of areas affected by the current outbreak of malaria to initiate a self-imposed quarantine, as the Ministry of Health admitted it could not guarantee there would be no spread of the disease.

With an average of seven new cases of malaria per day, the Health Ministry also said it was prohibiting all indoor and outdoor public gatherings in the affected areas of Denham Town, Tivoli Gardens, Trench Town and Delacree Park, in an effort to reduce further transmission of the disease.

Curtail travel

"Persons living in these areas are also being advised to curtail travel and participation in mass gatherings in non-affected areas," the Health Ministry said in a release.

Although Health Minister Horace Dalley denied that the disease has already spread, Professor Peter Figueroa, chief of epidemiology at the Health Ministry, said during a press briefing earlier yesterday that in "these situations" the ministry could not guarantee there would be no widening of the affected zones.

"What we have to do is that once you identify that there is a local case of transmission then you (have) got to move immediately and aggressively," Professor Figueroa said during the briefing, called to discuss the current outbreak, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

Last Friday, the Health Ministry reported that there were four confirmed cases of malaria. The number has since climbed to 49, with 23 persons treated and sent home.

The initially affected areas are: Denham Town, Tivoli Gardens, Trench Town and Delacree Park, all in Kingston. Cases have since been found in Rose Town, Wilton Gardens (Rema), Whitfield Town, among other communities in Kingston. Cases were also found in Portmore, Sydenham Villas and Church Pen in St. Catherine.

The Health Minister said his ministry is expected to uncover more cases of malaria because the incubation period of the infection is seven to 14 days.

Mr. Dalley told the gathering that some 50 health care workers have been dispatched to the affected communities to do the necessary vector control work. To date, they have found and treated 400 mosquito breeding sites.

He noted that on Thursday, local specialists accompanied by an entomology expert from the Pan American Health Organisation did an aerial inspection of the communities. He explained that the purpose of the exercise was to identify breeding sites difficult to find from ground level. The result of the exercise, he said, was being analysed.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister said persons travelling to Jamaica need not use prophylaxis (anti-malaria drugs) as the cases remain confined to the Kingston 12, 13 and 14 areas.

Dr. Marion Bullock-DuCasse, director of emergency services in the Ministry of Health, said quarantine staff are at the ports of entry and the health aspect of their work had been strengthened to ensure adequate screening and advice to passengers.