Malaria Cases Increase in Dominican Republic Because of Heavy Rains During Hurricane Jeanne

Malaria cases in the Dominican Republic have increased 31% over the past year, possibly because of the eight to 12 inches of rain dropped during Hurricane Jeanne in September, authorities said Monday, the AP/USA Today reports. Since January 2004, 2,021 people on the island have been diagnosed with malaria, compared with 1,529 diagnoses in 2003, according to Jose Manuel Puello, director of the Dominican National Center of Tropical Diseases. He added that the hurricane left many areas of the Dominican Republic more humid than normal, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Several tourists also recently have reported contracting malaria while on the island. Four Canadians in October were diagnosed with a strain of the disease known as P. falciparum, according to Public Health Agency of Canada and CDC. Two Americans, four Puerto Ricans and seven Europeans also have contracted strains of malaria while in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. All of the tourists reported having contracted malaria after they returned to their home countries (AP/USA Today, 12/7).