[Epidemiology and control of malaria in Suriname]

Malaria is endemic in the interior of Suriname, which is inhabited by descendants of black slaves and Amerindian tribes. Analysis of epidemiological data for the period 1965-1985 reveals that within that area malaria is endemic only in the territory of the Djuka Indians in the Upper Marowijne region. The endemicity may be due in part to the presence of a relatively large and stable population of the local vector, Anopheles darlingi, and also to the Djukas' frequent travels within their own territory. During 1985, transmission occurred year-round in only two of the many villages of the region, and the majority of cases were found in those same villages. Research following outbreaks of malaria in isolated villages in the plains region and the interior showed that the Djukas employed by the governmental services near these villages probably acted as partially immune carriers of the malaria parasites, transporting them from the reservoir to the villages where the outbreaks occurred. Recommendations are being formulated for the prevention and control of malaria in the interior of Suriname.