Writings on Malaria |
To: All members of MTOC
From: Government Entomologist
Date: 30th March 1973
Itinerary
15th Honiara-Gizo
16th Gizo depart 2200 for Wagina on MV "Wairokai".
17th Wagina to drop MDA Team - Vio - Tamara School - Pangoe.
18th Pangoe - Susuka - VuruVuru - Bubukuana.
19th Bubukuana - Polo - Vurage - Sirovanga.
20th Sirovanga - Otopade - Liu Liu - Poro Poro (Choiseul Bay).
21st Choiseul Bay - Nukiki - Moli - Tomea (Fauro).
22nd Tomea - Samanago - Komaliae - Harapa - Nila.
23rd Nila - Ballalae - Honiara.
Entomology
Night catches were negative at Bubukuana and Sirovanga. Heavy rain prevented night catches at Poro Poro and Nila. Larval surveys were made at nearly all places visited. Anopheles farauti larvae were collected at Vuru Vuru, Bubukuana, Polo, Vurago, Poro Poro, Komaliae and Harapa.
Geographical Reconnaissance
Not checked in detail but appears reasonably accurate in respect of village locations and size of villages.
Cyclical Spraying Operations and Follow-Up Spraying
The recent CSO cycle although covering all houses inspected (some house
cards not signed) was not of a very high standard. Areas where previous
rub-off had occurred, e.g. lower walls, showed a light coverage of DDT.
FUS had not rectified these failings nor was there much evidence of FUS
as a part of remedial action.
Active Case Detection (ACD)
| (i) | In Susuka Region with the exception of the most distant villages,
e.g. Vio, ACD has been carried out regularly for the past six months.
During December and January only monthly visits were made to the
villages inspected in Zones 44 and 45. The transmission areas in Zones 46 and 47 have been visited twice monthly throughout. Radical treatment has had to be left with the patient on an alternate week basis for vivax cases and all except the first dose for falciparum cases. The patients, or the responsible adult, interviewed all gave assurances of taking the drugs given to them. Case follow-up has been done regularly in most cases and some House Contact slides taken. The remedial action aspect needs tightening up, however. The technician-in-charge G. Arohouta, seemed competent and reliable. He gave the impression of being more capable than the SMT, S. Wale, who was absent in Munda. All PCD agents seen are interested and seem to be working well. |
| (ii) | In the north-west portion of Malangono Region, i.e. Liu Liu, Poro Poro, Nukiki, ACD has been carried out regularly, except in September, December and January where only one visit was made to Liu Liu. RTG and HC seem to have been reasonably carried out. |
| (iii) | Surveillance in Fauro and Shortlands has been regular at all
villages visited, since at least August last. RTG checked at Samanaghe had been properly administered. At Komaliae and Harapa (Gilbertese villages) no attempt was made to check cases because of MDA shortly before. |
Conclusion
| (i) | A more detailed report on the North Choiseul situation will be made to supplement my Agenda Item for MTOC 2/73. | |
| (ii) | Fauro. At Samanagha the two cases, one P. falciparum
and one P. vivax were from the same family and can almost
certainly be attributed to a visit to Sari, Bougainville, in December
1971. The P. falciparum case was detected on 29.2.72 and the
P. vivax case on 17.8.72. Two other cases recorded as from Zone 28 Shortlands were from Kariki. These, both Pf, were in early 1972 (January, March) and both were classified as imported. |
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| (iii) | Shortlands. The residents of Komaliae, perhaps more than
from any other village, are fairly frequent visitors to Bougainville.
The stricter police and customs procedures and the opening of the clinic
under construction at Harapa should reduce this movement. However,
several Gilbertese girls have married "Papuans" and are now
resident on Bougainville. Both Komaliae and Harapa have taro swamp areas and the streams feeding these are obvious farauti breeding grounds. The other cases on these islands in 1972 were mostly Gilbertese except; one Pv case at Korovou who had arrived from Malaita six months before; one at Maleai, a Pf case, in July was classified indigenous; as was a Pv case in February at Sapusapuai. Provided the Gilbertese vivax can be eliminated using MDA and proper radical treatment the only problem in these islands, including Fauro, would seem to be imported cases from Bougainville or elsewhere in the BSIP. Dr. B. Taylor
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