Dominican Tourism, Healthcare Authorities Deny Malaria Outbreak

Tourism and healthcare officials in the Dominican Republic dismissed rumors of a possible malaria outbreak in several travel destinations across the country and stressed that endemic disease in well under wraps.

Tourism Vice Minister Luis Simon said the travel advisory issued by the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control (CDC), that warned U.S. travelers to take chloroquine, a medication that helps prevent malaria, was based on outdated information.

“n mid 2004, there were sixteen cases of tourists infected with malaria in the country and none of them had deadly consequences thanks to timely detection by hotels´ personnel and local healthcare staffs, Mr. Simon pointed out.

For his part, Dominican Health Minister Rafael Schiffino indicated no new cases of malaria have been reported in the country since then.

Mr. Schiffino added that 60 percent of all malaria cases in the Dominican Republic are detected among Haitian laborers that work in sugarcane plantations.