Malaria reports in Bulawayo and Harare investigated

Scientists are investigating reports of confirmed malaria cases in Bulawayo and Harare, the government controlled Herald Online reported on Monday.

This followed reports that some people who never left Harare and Bulawayo had their blood samples examined and confirmed that they were suffering from malaria.

Speaking at a Global Fund conference, information and education officer in the ministry Fortunate Manjoro confirmed that there had been cases of people who never traveled outside the capital cities being diagnosed with the disease.

"The malaria stratification map needs new work as movements of people may have changed the scenario in which there were places like Harare and Bulawayo, which were known to be non-malaria transmission zones... but now there have been cases of malaria among people who have never traveled outside the cities," she said.

"This may be an indication that the two areas are now also malaria transmission zones."

Manjoro said that border areas were the most vulnerable. Places like Manicaland, Mudzi, Beitbridge, Victoria Falls Hwange and Kariba were among the most affected areas for 2009 with some areas recording up to 365 deaths in the year.

Some areas of Harare like Kuwadzana had perennial mosquito problems especially during the rainy season but these had been previously viewed as a nuisance rather than a grave health hazard, according to the report.