BRIEFS. health

25 cases of malaria documented during 2008

The Departamento de Control de Vectores del Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) documented 25 cases of malaria throughout the country during the first 18 days of 2008, 24 fewer than during the same period of 2007, authorities said.

The Darién province was the most affected, with seven cases of malaria, followed by Chiriquí (4), Panama Oeste (2) and Veraguas (1).

According to the Contraloría General, 1,663 cases of malaria were reported during 2006 and 3,667 in 2005. Official numbers for malaria cases in 2007 are not yet available.

Health authorities recommend maintaining houses and surroundings as clean as possible and avoiding stagnant water, which is a haven for the mosquitoes that transmit the disease.