Malaria returns to Jamaica for first time in 40 years

The island of Jamaica had been malaria-free for forty years when malaria broke out, striking 280 people between November 2006 and February 2007. The government instituted active surveillance and treatment for the infected, and started blitzing standing water with insecticides. The WHO reported in Febraury 2007 that the outbreak was over and that transmission would soon be disrupted for good.

But cases continued to pop up, continuing into June 2007, when a resident of Kingston fell ill with falciparum malaria. With no clear explanation as to how malaria returned to the island, the conditions that brought it back may remain. Government officials blame an influx of people from malaria-plagued Haiti, but critics point out that Haitian immigration has been going on for years, without spreading malaria.

For more:

CDC Outbreak Notice:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentMalariaJamaicaNewCase.aspx

WHO: Malaria in Jamaica
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_02_09/en/index.html