PORT Antonio, Portland — One of the 42 Haitians who landed at Ross Craig, Long Bay, Portland, on May 18 before being shipped back to their country two days later, tested positive for the mosquitoes-borne infectious disease malaria.

This was disclosed by Dr Sharon Lewis, Portland’s medical officer for health, at a meeting of the Portland Municipal Corporation on Thursday.

Dr Lewis said after the Haitians arrived by boat on Jamaica’s shores, they were processed at Port Antonio Hospital and tests conducted.

“One adult male tested positive for the malaria parasite; however, the result returned two days after he was repatriated. This male had no fever or other symptoms on presentation; he only gave a history of fever a long time ago,” said Dr Lewis.

“The vector control team promptly destroyed the boat and conducted fogging in the landing area to reduce the spread of any other viral diseases that those who arrived may have had,” added Dr Lewis as she warned about harbouring illegal visitors and the possible health risks.

“I use the opportunity to warn the public that malaria in a person from a country where the disease is endemic often presents with mild symptoms, and as in the case with that man, no symptoms. In this case, the male had no symptoms.

”That is why we warn our citizens to alert the police and the health team when persons who are not Jamaicans arrive by boat on our shores without going through the official ports. These persons should be assessed immediately after their arrival so that we can take the necessary public health measures to protect our citizens from the possible introduction or reintroduction of infectious diseases to our country,” Dr Lewis added.

The World Health Organization first certified Jamaica as malaria-free in 1965. In 2012 the country was reinstated on the official register of areas where malaria eradication was achieved.

Since then, Jamaica’s health system has detected only imported cases of the mosquito-borne disease, which is caused by the malaria parasite that is transmitted to humans by the infected bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes.

The island has been able to prevent the reintroduction of malaria by public health surveillance, identifying imported cases and putting in place the necessary control measures to prevent local spread, even in the presence of imported malaria.