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Manchester Man With Malaria Dies

Published: Tuesday January 22, 2013 | 1:38 pm4 Comments

The Mandeville Regional Hospital – File
Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

A man who was being treated for malaria in Manchester has died.

Alfons Klem, a German who resided in Mandeville, Manchester had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the Mandeville Regional Hospital for some time before he was transferred to the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Klem who was in his 50s reportedly went on a trip to a country in Africa and had received the necessary vaccine before leaving but had stayed longer than expected.

On his return to Jamaica, he fell ill and went to the Mandeville Regional Hospital where he was diagnosed for malaria and was treated.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael Combs had reported that the matter was one of two cases imported last December.

He had also reported that the patient was successfully treated but was still in hospital for other complications.

The death has sparked concern among Mandeville residents.

A close family member of deceased who asked to remain anonymous told The Gleaner that the cause of death was believed to be complications from malaria.

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Another Case Of Malaria?

Published: Sunday January 13, 2013 | 6:37 pm0 Comments

File – Dr Marion Bullock Ducasse, Director of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health.
Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

Health officials are this evening tight-lipped on reports that a second imported case of malaria has been detected.

The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre understands that the infected person, a male, had also traveled to a country in Africa similar to the person in St Ann whose case was highlighted by The Gleaner last week. The Manchester patient is being treated at the Mandeville Regional Hospital, where he is said to be in intensive care.

Sources say although the patient received the necessary vaccines before traveling to Africa, he stayed in the region longer than scheduled. When contacted, health officials declined to comment on the case.

Chief medical officer, Dr Michael Coombs said he was not in a position to speak about the matter and suggested that we contact the health ministry’s public relations personnel on Monday.

Director of emergency, disaster management and special services in the health ministry, Dr Marion Bullock-Ducasse, also declined to comment saying she was not at work and was therefore not up-to-date with what was happening.

Last week, in a release from the ministry, Dr Coombs assured the public that there was no malaria outbreak and therefore no reason for Jamaicans to panic. He said the country had not had locally transmitted cases of malaria since 2009. There were five imported cases in 2012 and one since the start of the year.

Malaria, caused by the malaria parasite, is spread when the Anopheles mosquito bites an infected person and then bites others. It cannot be transmitted from person to person. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are also possible.