SANTO DOMINGO.- President Luis Abinader said on Monday that although the World Health Organization (WHO) has not confirmed the existence of anthrax in Haiti, Dominican authorities have taken precautions to prevent the disease.
He said that the Ministry of Defense and the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) are following up on all issues in Haiti, not just security issues.
“We had that information, the WHO has not yet confirmed that data, but we are taking the necessary precautions to prevent it. We can give you more details later and the Ministry of Public Health, which is coordinating and is being given information in this regard, is taking the necessary measures,” he said, when asked about the subject in La Semanal con la Prensa.
The Dominican government adopted preventive measures in response to suspected cases of anthrax in Haiti. Dominican authorities, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense, activated border security protocols to prevent “any possible spread of the disease.”
These measures include strict health controls and intensified epidemiological surveillance in the border area, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.
These actions are being implemented “in response to clinical suspicions of possible cases of anthrax” although “so far there is no diagnostic confirmation of the disease,” the statement said.
