Malaria outbreak hits Jamaica

Winter travellers to the Caribbean have been warned that Jamaica is currently suffering from a small outbreak of malaria cases.

In the last seven days, the Jamaican ministry of health has reported 20 malaria cases in the native population and an additional case in an American visitor, who visited the country in late October and early November, has also been confirmed.

The majority of cases were from the Denham Town, Trench Town, Tivoli Gardens and Delacree Park districts of Kingston although others were reported in the neighbouring province of St Catherine.

Although malaria is not considered endemic in Jamaica and the UK Foreign Office is describing the outbreak as "a small cluster", Jay Keystone, of Toronto General Hospital's tropical disease unit, says that more needs to be done to publicise the outbreak among winter travellers and doctors alike.

He told Canada's Globe and Mail that information about how to prevent the disease needs to "reach the public" and "reach the medical community".

However, Mr Keystone was keen not to play up the outbreak. "If you ask me, would I go to Jamaica today, I wouldn't hesitate," he said. "This is not a big deal. But we need to know about it."

Travellers can limit the chances of being infected with malaria by covering themselves with a mosquito net while they sleep and using DEET spray.