Substantial increase of malaria in inland areas of eastern French Guiana.
This study includes malaria cases diagnosed by the Parasitology Unit of the Cayenne Hospital (French Guiana) using the same procedure from 1996 to 2003. We provide data for two main rural communities in slightly inland areas of eastern French Guiana (Cacao, Regina) and for Cayenne, the capital of this French department. The frequency of bouts of malaria has been increasing rapidly since mid-2001, in these regions that were virtually considered to be malaria-free. This substantial increase of malaria appears mainly to involve Plasmodium vivax and recent Brazilian immigrants. Other plausible explanations which could account for the observed trend are discussed.
Carme
Bernard
B
Parasitology-Mycology Unit, Hospital of Cayenne and University of French West Indies and French Guiana (School of Medicine, EA 3593 team), BP 6006. 97306 Cayenne, French Guiana. b.carme@wanadoo.fr
D005616:French Guiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data