According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laboratories confirmed 11 cases of malaria in the six weeks following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Patients included seven U.S. emergency responders, three Haitian residents and one U.S. traveler. Of the seven emergency responders, six were U.S. military personnel. Four of those cases were treated in Haiti, while two others were transferred to the U.S. for intensive care. All are expected to make a full recovery.

According to the CDC, historically, malaria transmission peaks in Haiti after the two rainy seasons: a primary peak from November to January and a secondary peak from May to June. There is a substantial risk to the 500,000 Haitians left homeless by the quake and to the thousands of emergency responders in Haiti.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria is critical, as is chemoprophylaxis, when appropriate. The CDC recommends people traveling to Haiti should receive chemoprophylaxis. The CDC recommends taking mosquito-avoidance measures, including using mosquito repellent, wearing protective clothing, and sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.

Chemoprophylaxis, although highly effective in preventing malaria, is not 100% effective. Therefore, if fever develops in persons taking chloroquine or other antimalarials for chemoprophylaxis, they still should be evaluated for malaria infection with a diagnostic test.

More details are available at www.cdc.gov/malaria.