Malaria among U.S. Embassy personnel--Kampala, Uganda, 1992

The treatment and prevention of malaria in Africa has become a challenging and complex problem because of increasing drug resistance. Although the risk of acquiring malaria for U.S. citizens and their dependents stationed overseas generally has been low, this risk varies substantially and unpredictably. During May 1992, the Office of Medical Services, Department of State (OMS/DOS), and CDC were notified of an increased number of malaria cases among official U.S. personnel stationed in Kampala, Uganda. A review of the health records from the Embassy Health Unit (EHU) in Kampala indicated that 27 cases of malaria were diagnosed in official personnel from March through June 1992 compared with two cases during the same period in 1991. EHU, OMS/DOS, and CDC conducted an investigation to confirm all reported malaria cases and identify potential risk factors for malaria among U.S. Embassy personnel. This report summarizes the results of the investigation.