Cagayan, not Palawan, is malaria hot spot — Mitra

Cagayan Valley is the malaria hot spot, not Palawan and the Southern Tagalog, Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra said yesterday.

He said the Department of Health’s own data support this.

"In 2002, there were 59,616 confirmed malaria cases in Cagayan Valley, compared to 9,747 reported for the whole of Southern Tagalog, to which Palawan belongs. There are four times as many people in Region 4 than in Region 2, but the latter has seven times more malaria cases," he said.

"We are not denying that there is malaria in Palawan. In fact, we are all doing something about it despite anemic national funds to fight it. But because we are partially reliant on tourism receipts, we would like to erase the impression that the whole province is shivering in chills," he said.

Mitra added that he was worried that the reports of malaria incidence could hurt tourism in Palawan, a favorite destination of local and foreign tourists.

He said his province is just recovering from the adverse effects of the Dos Palmas resort kidnapping some years back.

"It’s safe to visit Palawan. And malaria is avoidable, preventable and curable," he said.

The Department of Tourism echoed the assurance that Palawan remains one of the best and safest tourist destinations in the country.

"There is no outbreak of malaria in the whole province and the DOH is currently conducting residual spraying in possible malaria hot spots," said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

Based on reports from the DOT’s Palawan office, Durano said there have been no cancellations of tours and conferences.

The DOH has sent a team of experts to the Palawan town of Rizal to look into the deaths of tribal people there, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said yesterday.

The condition of the Tao’t Bato tribe came into light after broadcaster Reyster Langit and his cameraman Arnold Tanare contracted malaria while investigating the incident.

Langit died yesterday in a hospital in the United States, while Tanare succumbed earlier at the San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Malaria is also being eyed as the cause of the deaths hounding the Tao’t Bato tribe.

Duque has described as a "virgin case" the infection that hit Langit and Tanare because they had no immunity against malaria since they were strangers in the area.

Duque said it is still safe to go to Palawan, although the remote and mountainous places should be avoided because the malaria-causing mosquitoes thrive in these areas.

Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite which enters a victim’s body through the bite of the female Anophelese mosquito.

"That mosquito is also known as the long-legged lethal lady. It attacks the red blood cell, until the patient suffers organ failure," Duque said.

Malaria is characterized by fever, headache, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms that appear about nine to 14 days after one is bitten by an infected mosquito.

"Don’t wear perfume if you go to endemic areas because it attracts mosquitoes. There are preventive measures that you can observe if you cannot avoid going to these places," Duque said in his first press conference yesterday.

Duque strictly advised the intake of prophylaxis two or three days before going to far-flung areas in Palawan, which is one of the 65 provinces that are endemic for malaria.

Another precautionary measure is the use of insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets and mosquito-repellant lotion.

Duque said travelers should also wear clothes that cover the body and protect it from possible mosquito bites. — With Mayen Jaymalin