Tests carried out to determine the health status of 23 Haitians who arrived in the island on February 15 are expected to be ready by the middle of this week.

A number of the Haitians, who landed in Port Antonio, Portland, almost two weeks ago, are suspected of having malaria.

Commissioner of Corrections, Major Richard Reese, in an interview with The Gleaner Power 106 News Centre, said that while there is this speculation, the tests should confirm this. "The department expects to receive the reports this week. We are not able to say the specific date because there is a series of examina-tions that are being conducted, so at this time we only know that there are some persons who have malaria but we are not able to say."

Tuberculosis

Reports have also surfaced that some of the Haitians may also be infected with tuberculosis. However, Major Reese said this was inconclusive. "We have no information regarding any of them being diagnosed with TB (tuberculosis), and we will continue to do our medical examinations of them to assess their general health status, so we are not in a position to say if any of them have such ailments," he said.

The group, which includes 19 males and four females, has been quarantined at the Horizon Adult Correctional Centre on Spanish Town Road, Kingston. "Since their arrival we took a decision to quarantine (them) and they are separated from the general population of remandees..."

Since the outbreak of malaria in the island last December, there have been suggestions of a possible link between the immigration of Haitians to the island and the outbreak.

Haiti has some 10,000 people infected with malaria and is ranked 73rd on the World Health Organisation's list of most infected countries. Hundreds of Haitians fled their poverty-stricken country in early 2004 to escape fighting among persons loyal to ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and rebel forces. Many ended up in Jamaica and were temporarily accommodated at the Montpelier camp, in St. James.

Most of of them were repatriated by the Government, in June 2005.