Malaria outbreaks in a non-endemic area of Brazil, 2005.

In March 2005, a resident of the municipality of Monte Alegre de Minas, State of Minas Gerais, without any history of traveling to endemic areas for malaria, was diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax infection and local mosquito-borne transmission was suspected. The epidemiological investigation identified another 10 cases with local transmission and all of them were related to the imported malaria case that was detected in this region. The potential exposure site was the banks of the river Tejuco, an area frequented by mineral prospectors. Some of these prospectors were known to have come from states with malaria transmission. In the autochthonous cases, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum were diagnosed. Entomological investigation identified Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) darlingi, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) triannulatus and Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) parvus. After the first outbreak, another three autochthonous cases were notified in municipality of Monte Alegre de Minas, in the same year. The occurrence of these outbreaks highlights the importance of surveillance systems in areas that are nonendemic for malaria.

Malaria outbreaks in a non-endemic area of Brazil, 2005 / Surtos de malária em área não endêmica do Brasil, 2005

In March 2005, a resident of the municipality of Monte Alegre de Minas, State of Minas Gerais, without any history of traveling to endemic areas for malaria, was diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax infection and local mosquito-borne transmission was suspected. The epidemiological investigation identified another 10 cases with local transmission and all of them were related to the imported malaria case that was detected in this region. The potential exposure site was the banks of the river Tejuco, an area frequented by mineral prospectors. Some of these prospectors were known to have come from states with malaria transmission. In the autochthonous cases, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum were diagnosed. Entomological investigation identified Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) darlingi, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) triannulatus and Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) parvus. After the first outbreak, another three autochthonous cases were notified in municipality of Monte Alegre de Minas, in the same year. The occurrence of these outbreaks highlights the importance of surveillance systems in areas that are nonendemic for malaria.

Em março de 2005, um morador do município de Monte Alegre de Minas, Estado de Minas Gerais, sem histórico de viagem para área endêmica de malária foi diagnosticado com infecção por Plasmodium vivax e a transmissão vetorial no local foi suspeitada. A investigação epidemiológica identificou outros 10 casos com transmissão local e todos relacionados ao caso de malária importada detectado na região. A área de potencial exposição foi às margens do rio Tejuco, local freqüentado por garimpeiros, muitos sabidamente, oriundos de estados com transmissão de malária. Nos casos autóctones, Plasmodium vivax e Plasmodium falciparum foram diagnosticados. A investigação entomológica identificou Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) darlingi, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) triannulatus e Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) parvus. Após o primeiro surto, outros três casos autóctones foram notificados no município de Monte Alegre de Minas no mesmo ano. A ocorrência desses surtos alerta sobre a importância de sistemas de vigilância em áreas não endêmicas para a malária.