THE Ministry of Health says it will be redoubling its efforts to rid the island of the malaria parasite by conducting an intense two-month eradication programme, as the hurricane season progresses.

Dr Eva Lewis-Fuller, acting head of the Malaria Prevention and Control Programme, said the ministry was particularly concerned about the increase of breeding sites during the hurricane season.

“We know the pattern with rainy season which creates more bodies of water, so we are taking precautionary measures to find and destroy the breeding sites and keep the mosquito density down to a level where it is not conducive to spreading the malaria parasite,” Dr Lewis-Fuller told the Observer yesterday.

“We have found new breeding sites. Some breeding sites are dynamic because today the malaria parasite might not be breeding, but tomorrow after it rains and the water catches in a certain area, you will find that there might be a breeding site in that same area,” she said.

The rains, she added, also hamper fever surveillance, vector control and fogging. However, she said heavy showers could also destroy the larvae and breeding sites.

Meantime, Dr Lewis-Fuller said with the number of malaria cases on the decline, the ministry has been vigilant in keeping the parasite contained.

Since April, there have been no reported case of malaria outside of Kingston.

There were nine case of malaria last month and only one case reported since the beginning of this month.

In the meantime, Dr Lewis-Fuller told the Observer that the ministry has identified an alternative product that will be used to eliminate the parasites, because of the anopheles mosquitos’ resistant to insecticide.