[An outbreak of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Kyrghyzstan]

Abstract

Malaria was not notified in the republic in 1960 to 1982, with exception of 1963 where one case of imported malaria was identified. Twenty-four cases of locally transmitted malaria were detected, 11 of them being registered in the Batken district, Osh Region, contiguous with Tadjikistan and Uzbekistan. In 1981 to 2000, a total of 101 cases of malaria were notified, in 2001 there was an increase in cases of malaria to 136, while in 2002, a total of 2744 cases of malaria were registered mainly in the Fergana valley. Malaria was imported from Tadjikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. The infectious agent of malaria was P. vivax in 98% of cases and P. falciparum in 2%. The high malarial potential areas are the Osh, Zhalalabat, and Batken Regions and town of Osh. In 2002, the investigators identified patients with malaria, made its chloroquine eliminating treatment, seasonal chemoprevention of some 5000 dwellers of the Leilek District of the Batken Region contiguous with Tadjikistan, and larvicidal treatments of water reservoirs and rice checks with dimilin. Almost 1,988,000 m2 of premises were treated with Solfac. Mosquito fishes were placed into more water reservoirs in 2003. In 2003 there was a tendency for a decrease in the incidence of malaria, as compared with 2002, which may be ascribed to the small size of vectors, which is due to the cold spring and cool June and July. In 2003, there were treatments of premises, mosquito fish enrichment of water reservoirs, interseasonal chemoprophylaxis of patients who experienced malaria in 2002; impregnated bed curtains were available to protect the dwellers of foci from mosquito bites.