No recommendation for anti-malarial prophylaxis to resorts in Puerto Plata

[CalgaryTravelle]

I received this email from the Canadian government:

Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 11:07 AM
Subject: RE: malaria and Dominican republic

There have been no/no cases of malaria reported from the tourist areas in the Northern region of the Dominican Republic. The cases have been isolated to the tourist regions of Punta Cana/Bavaro located in the southeastern portion of the country have been affected. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is only recommending anti-malaria medication for those traveling to rural regions, and for the time being for those travel to the Punta Cana/Bavaro region. Therefore, PHAC is not/not recommending anti-malaria medication for travel to the Northern region of the Domininca Republic.
For more detailed information, please visit PHAC's Travel Advisory page at:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/pub_e.html

We also keep the information up to date on our Travel Report which you can view at:

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-...untry=77000#12

[Hillbilly]

It is good to seee that there is no false or misleading information going around.

It seems to me that the eastern portion has been hit with malaria as a combined result of the enormous amount of accumulated water from the hurricase season as well as the normal rainfall for the sugar cane regions and finally, a large population of Haitians and others that work the cane fields and are the most prevelant targets of malaria.

It is good to see that the Canadian health officials are on their toes, and not forcing their people to take unnecessary medicines.

HB

[mondongo]

By "not/not" and "no/no", I assume you mean "not" and "no", respectively. Neither of your links recommends that travellers NOT take medication.

[ricktoronto]

Originally Posted by CalgaryTravelle

There have been no/no cases of malaria reported from the tourist areas in the Northern region of the Dominican Republic.

You know, nobody said there was malaria other than Altagracia and Punta Cana/San Francicso de Macoris. Apart from the endemic problem at the boundary with Haita where tourist rarely wind up anyway.

[mountainannie]

I think it is a good thing that tourists are seeing that this is an "authentic" destination - not just a boxed tourist attraction like Cancun... Think a little edge of excitement makes it all that much more attractive. Only where all the mosquitos are killed -- DDT trucks all over Florida when I was a kid --- killing everything...... Thank God for the mosquitos -- might keep the human population aware that there are other creatures entitled to live on the planet. I welcome it like I welcomed Lyme's Disease -- protects the jungle and the forests.

But then, I enjoyed living on a hill in Haiti without electricity so I will admit that I am an odd duck.

Elizabeth