About 7 million people in Azerbaijan at risk of contracting malaria – ministry

About seven million people in Azerbaijan are at risk of contracting malaria, a Health Ministry official told reporters on Monday, APA reported.

 
The department head of the Republican Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the Health Ministry, Suleyman Mammadov, noted that the disease is endemic in 80 percent of the country’s territory.
 
“There are fertile conditions in Mil-Mughan, Lankaran and Aran (lowland) regions of Azerbaijan for the population growth of malaria mosquitoes. Mosquitoes, carrying the disease, multiply in swamps and freshwater sources. Most cases of the disease are recorded in June-October. The main signs of the disease are chills, fever and sweating,” he said.
 
He noted that there is no possible local malaria transmission, but the cases of infection with tropical malaria, important from other countries, are recorded in the country.
 
According to him, about three such cases (one case in 2016, two cases in 2015 and four cases in 2014) recorded in the country every year.
 
“This disease spreads rapidly. In particular, the disease poses a threat to children and elderly people, so it needs to be detected at the first stage, and the necessary measures should be taken,” added Mammadov.
 
He mentioned that the risk of such diseases increases during international events in Azerbaijan. 
 
“For example, a young African man who came to the Youth Forum held in Baku a few years ago was diagnosed with tropical malaria. The necessary measures have been taken thanks to timely detection. The man was recovered and sent to his country,” said the health ministry official. 
 
Mammadov went on to say that all necessary measures have been taken to prevent a possible outbreak of tropical malaria during the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Baku in Ma.
 
“During the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, many tourists and visitors will come to Azerbaijan from Islam countries where the disease is endemic,” he said. 

News.Az

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