Increasing cases of leishmaniasis in Panama
Itza Mosca, the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health confirmed during an interview on the channel 2 TVN morning news broadcast that there are outbreaks of leishmaniasis in the Western part of the Province on Panama, in Bocas del Toro, Cocle, San Miguelito and Colon. The official said leishmaniasis is endemic in the mountainous areas of Panama, but the numbers of cases increase when the rain intensifies. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by an insect known as the chitra that causes ulcers when it bites. This disease is also known locally as the "picada de bejuco." However, Mosca clarified that the Chitra is a dipteran, relative of the mosquito, but it is not the same insect that is common on beaches. The official from the Ministry of Health recommended that people keep should their homes clean and to store food properly to prevent the disease, because accumulated rubbish attracts the chitra, bugs and mice. (TVN Noticias)
