Colombia (2011) - La Guajira's capital and local indigenous communities heavily affected

[LaMenchos]

MALARIA - COLOMBIA: (LA GUAJIRA)
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Date: Sun 7 Aug 2011
Source: El Heraldo [in Spanish, trans. Mod.JG, edited]
<http://www.elheraldo.co/regi-n/alarma-por-brote-de-malaria-en-la-guajira-31469>


So far this year [2011] until the 27th epidemiological week, 187 cases
of malaria have been reported in La Guajira, and 95 of them are
located in the capital city (Riohacha), according to the Departmental
Secretary of Health. Most persons affected belong to the Wayuu
community, who were affected by the 1st outbreaks.

24 cases have been reported in La Cachaca I and II settlements, and
some additional cases have been reported in Argote, Puerto Caracol,
and El Horno communities. The most frequently reported symptoms were
high grade fever, nasal congestion, and chills. No fatal victims have
been reported until now.

According to the health secretary, the causes for this outbreak
affecting indigenous communities are water pools, brooks, and still
water pools that are used on a daily basis by indigenous people, and
these are the places where mosquitoes lay their eggs, easily
reproducing and afterwards biting people.

Indigenous communities request support from healthcare specialists so
that the outbreak will not spread and cause fatal cases.

A specialized group from the Health Secretary declared that diagnoses
are being made and interventions are being implemented and executed.
"We are performing control activities in indigenous communities and in
Riohacha slums. We are currently educating people, and we are also
fumigating the affected areas," said Mr. Wilmer Martinez, who is
currently in charge of the Health Secretariat.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[Maps of Colombia from PAHO showing the risk of malaria in different
parts of the country can be found at
<http://www.paho.org/english/hcp/hct/malaria_pptindex.htm>. The maps
are not dated, and thus it is unclear whether this is actual or
historic data.

The latest data on malaria in Colombia available from PAHO is from the
year 2007. According to this map, there is no risk of malaria in the
city of Riohacha and its surroundings, but there is risk south towards
the border with Venezuela. This area is near Venezuela, and the surge
in malaria in this area could be a local phenomenon or may represent a
surge across the border in Venezuela as well.

For the ProMED HealthMap of the location of this outbreak, see:
<http://healthmap.org/r/170s>. - Mod.EP]

[see also:
2010
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Malaria - Venezuela: (AM), Yanomami 20101105.4013
Malaria - Venezuela (02): (BO) 20101022.3839
Malaria - Venezuela: (BO) 20100606.1882
1998
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Malaria - Colombia (Pacific Littoral) 19980131.0204
1997
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Malaria, incidence related to El Nino - Venezuela 19971212.2475
Malaria, resistant - Venezuela 19970404.0714
1996
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Measles, malaria: Yanomami - Venezuela (press report) 19960316.0481]
..................................................jg/ep/msp/dk
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[LaMenchos]

Re: Colombia (2011) - La Guajira's capital and local indigenous communities heavily affected

MALARIA - COLOMBIA: (LA GUAJIRA)
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The latest data on malaria in Colombia available from PAHO is from the
year 2007. According to this map, there is no risk of malaria in the
city of Riohacha and its surroundings, but there is risk south towards
the border with Venezuela. This area is near Venezuela, and the surge
in malaria in this area could be a local phenomenon or may represent a
surge across the border in Venezuela as well.

La Guajira, Colombia's northern most department (state) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Guajira_Department is a desert. This may explain why the risk of malaria has been declared as non-existent.

However, 2010's Caribbean cyclonic season relentlessly beat the entire northern portion of South America, from eastern Venezuela, westward flooding the entire northern third of Colombia, moving northward through Central America into Mexico, particularly Yucatan. See http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158412, http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156589, etc.

From what I can surmise looking at the pattern of displacement of cyclonic activity (posted in Flutrackers during the 2010 hurricane season) and news reports on the severity of the rainy season in South and Central America, this extensive flooding had no precedent and was caused by a rainy season that lasted not the typical three months ending in early December 2010 or so, but extended well into the end of the first trimester of 2011, with devastating effects to both health and infrastructure.

Unfortunately the indigenous communities become disproportionately vulnerable in situations like these.