{"id":18675,"date":"2026-11-10T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18675"},"modified":"2026-11-09T14:07:35","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T19:07:35","slug":"malaria-out-of-control-124-confirmed-cases-at-merca-panama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/health\/malaria-out-of-control-124-confirmed-cases-at-merca-panama\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaria Out of Control! 124 Confirmed Cases at MERCA Panama"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Panama’s Ministry of Health confirmed Monday that malaria infections Panama<\/a><\/strong> have surged to 124 at the Merca Panam\u00e1 wholesale market, nearly quadrupling from 34 cases less than a month ago. Officials said 59 patients have completed treatment<\/a>, 50 remain under medical care<\/a>, and 15 have abandoned their medication regimens entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sharp increase comes just three days after authorities reported 99 positive cases on November 6. Health teams are now actively searching for workers who stopped taking their prescribed medication, coordinating with regional health facilities across the country to locate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Health authorities have shared patient information with multiple regional health installations to track down the 15 individuals who interrupted their treatment. The Malaria mosquito by LabtestGuy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Informal Workers Bear Brunt of Malaria Infections Panama Outbreak<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yelkys Gill, director general of Public Health at the Ministry of Health<\/a>, said approximately 75 percent of those infected are informal workers at Merca Panam\u00e1, primarily cart operators who transport goods through the sprawling market complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These workers present a unique challenge for containment efforts because of their mobility patterns. Many stay at the market for two to three days at a time, often overnight, before returning to their home districts. This movement creates pathways for the mosquito-borne disease<\/a> to spread beyond the market’s immediate perimeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health authorities have shared patient information with multiple regional health installations to track down the 15 individuals who interrupted their treatment. The goal is to get them back on the full medication schedule required to clear the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Lo\u00daltimo | El Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) confirma el aumento de 124 casos de malaria en los alrededores de MERCA Panam\u00e1, por lo que intensifica las acciones de vigilancia epidemiol\u00f3gica, con el objetivo de controlar el brote y evitar que se extienda hacia otras \u00e1reas urbanas. https:\/\/t.co\/PDZMYXfQzL<\/p>— Destino Panam\u00e1 (@destinopanama_) November 9, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n