THE government says there has been an unusually high number of malaria cases in the South West St Andrew community of Greenwich Town, which was not one of the original areas affected by the outbreak last year.

Minister of Information and Development Donald Buchanan said the spread to Greenwich Town has been traced back to the original affected areas which include Trench Town, Denham Town, Tivoli Gardens and Delacree Park.

The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) last week expressed concerns about the latest figures coming out on the outbreak, which have gone over the 200 mark and which suggested that the outbreak may be spreading into other areas.

At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Health reported 186 confirmed cases of malaria, with 159 people successfully treated. But, by mid-January, the minister, Horace Dalley, confirmed that the cases had risen to 209, including 25 confirmed within the first 10 days of January. There was also a report from the ministry of a single case being found in Clarendon.

Dr Sheila Campbell Forrester, acting chief medical officer in the health ministry, said in December that the ministry had destroyed 50 breeding sites, 25 in the Corporate Area, and 24 in St Catherine.

However, she said that the addition of four Cubans to the mosquito control team had enhanced the ministry’s efforts.