As pointed out, the risk of a mosquito-borne disease outbreak increases significantly in the aftermath of an event like a hurricane or severe storm, but it is not restricted to malaria. In the Caribbean, especially in a country like Haiti, the threat of a malaria epidemic in the wake of hurricane Sandy may also be accompanied by an outbreak of Dengue fever. Unfortunately, while both diseases present similar clinical manifestations in their early stages, vector suppression interventions for malaria and Dengue fever are very different and not interchangeable. This combination would easily overwhelm the country’s limited resources that had been further decimated by the disaster response activities. The situation is further complicated by the dearth of vector control-related facilities and expertise of many countries and that these diseases will probably not manifest themselves until the clouds have dissipated and the recovery/reconstruction stage is well underway.
Manuel Lluberas
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