Malaria survey in post-earthquake Haiti--2010.
Haiti's Ministry of Public Health and Population collaborated with global partners to enhance malaria surveillance in two disaster-affected areas within 3 months of the January 2010 earthquake. Data were collected between March 4 and April 9, 2010 by mobile medical teams. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) were used for case confirmation. A convenience sample of 1,629 consecutive suspected malaria patients was included. Of these patients, 1,564 (96%) patients had malaria RDTs performed, and 317 (20.3%) patients were positive. Of the 317 case-patients with a positive RDT, 278 (87.7%) received chloroquine, 8 (2.5%) received quinine, and 31 (9.8%) had no antimalarial treatment recorded. Our experience shows that mobile medical teams trained in the use of malaria RDTs had a high rate of testing suspected malaria cases and that the majority of patients with positive RDTs received appropriate antimalarial treatment. Malaria RDTs were useful in the post-disaster setting where logistical and technical constraints limited the use of microscopy.
Malaria Branch, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. townesd@uw.edu
David
D
Townes
Alexandre
A
Existe
Jacques
J
Boncy
Roc
R
Magloire
Jean-Francois
JF
Vely
Ribka
R
Amsalu
Marleen
M
De Tavernier
James
J
Muigai
Sarah
S
Hoibak
Michael
M
Albert
Meredith
M
McMorrow
Laurence
L
Slutsker
S Patrick
SP
Kachur
Michelle
M
Chang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006205:Haiti / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D000962:Antimalarials; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic