Mass screening and treatment for malaria among gold miners in Suriname

Abstract

Background: The activities and habits of small to medium scale gold miners -and their interaction with both the environment and the local population- are recognized as one of the main determinants of the current occurrence and dispersion of malaria in the Amazon Region. Gold miners are the group with highest risk for malaria in the region. Their exploration techniques are based on damming creeks and rivers, to provide water that is used in high pressure hoses, to dig for gold. This practice, multiplies the potential breeding sites of the main vectors in the region. We assessed the malaria prevalence in gold mining areas in Suriname. Methods: Mass screening and treatment for malaria was conducted in 4 main gold mining areas in Suriname. A standardized national malaria form was used to collect the information. Malaria blood films were stained with 4% Giemsa and read using microscopy (1000X). 100 microscopic thick film fields were inspected before a slide was being declared malaria negative. For positive-malaria smears, parasite species were identified and treatment was given following the national malaria protocol. Results: Between June and October, 2009, there were 2543 people screened for malaria in 4 main gold mining areas in Suriname. These 4 areas had 261 gold mining camps (Victoria:26; Benzdorp:88; Sellacreek:79; Maku:68). Sixty-six percent of the people seen were Brazilian. Malaria infections were reported among 85 people with an overall prevalence of 3%. There were 42, 40 and 3 cases of Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae, respectively. Parasite specific prevalence ranged from 1-4%(Pf), 1-3%(Pv) and <1%(Pm). All malaria cases were uncomplicated infections and treated. No cases were detected among pregnant women. Conclusion: Despite a steep decline of malaria morbidity in Suriname (∼95% reduction), “hot spots” still exist. From the 4 gold mining areas evaluated, Sellacreek was the only malariafree region. Gold mining activities implies population movements and transmission of malaria which make diagnosis and treatment, a critical gap for the sustainability of the impact obtained in other areas. A strategy to increase access to adequate diagnosis and treatment for malaria -training locals and serving their populations- in gold mining areas is ongoing. Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive