Mapusa: The health department has intensified surveillance in Bardez following detection of 11 malaria cases among migrant laborers in the Aldona area.The infections, identified between March 31 and April 22, were primarily concentrated at a construction site in Carona.Officials have confirmed that all detected cases are ‘imported’, involving workers who recently arrived from states like Assam and Uttar Pradesh.Upon the discovery of the cluster, the Aldona primary health center (PHC) launched an immediate containment strategy. Measures included mass blood screening, anti-larval treatments, and extensive fogging operations across the affected site to prevent the risk of secondary transmission.Health department sources stated that the patients were identified after reporting symptoms of fever during routine medical examinations conducted for the labour force.While the influx of migrant workers has caused some anxiety among local residents regarding a potential spread, state health officials have moved to allay fears, emphasising that Goa’s status as an indigenous malaria-free zone remains intact. The state has not recorded a locally transmitted case since 2022 or a malaria-related death since 2018.Reiterating the state’s success in disease management, a senior health official stated: “Now we can, and must, say that Goa is malaria-free. Goa didn’t have an indigenous case in 2022 and no deaths since 2018.The situation is under control, and there is no cause for panic as these cases are imported.”The health department continues to appeal to citizens and contractors to eliminate stagnant water sources and maintain strict hygiene standards to prevent mosquito breeding as the state observes World Malaria Day.
