Santo Domingo.— Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre assured that, so far, there is no cause for alarm for the Dominican Republic regarding the investigation into possible cases of anthrax in Haiti, while also reporting that Dominican authorities are in talks with their Haitian counterparts to understand the scope of the new restrictions announced by the neighboring country.
Onofre stated that neither local authorities nor the Ministry of Public Health have detected any signs of the disease in Dominican territory.
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“So far, you have heard, there is no type of alarm for the Dominican Republic. It is an issue that is being handled there, in the territory of the neighboring country,” he declared.
He explained that the Dominican authorities are monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with Haitian officials to determine the scope of the measures adopted by Haiti.
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“I saw today that they sent some restrictions. We are following up and are in talks with the Haitian authorities to see what the spirit of the measure is so that we can take the appropriate measures,” he indicated.
However, he ruled out that any extraordinary preventive measure has been ordered at the Dajabón border and assured that commercial activity continues as normal.
“No, no preventive measures. The border is calm and all products continue to be traded,” he maintained.
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What is known about the cases in Haiti?
The statements come after Haitian authorities began investigating 13 suspected cases of cutaneous anthrax in Baliverne, a community in Dame-Marie, in the Grand’Anse department, in southwestern Haiti. Two human deaths were also reported in the area, although it has not yet been confirmed that anthrax was the cause of those deaths.
The possible source of exposure being investigated by Haitian authorities is believed to be related to contact with sick livestock. Anthrax is a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which primarily affects herbivorous animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats, and can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
In the Dominican Republic, the Ministry of Public Health has clarified that no cases of anthrax have been registered, although it maintains reinforced epidemiological and animal health surveillance as a preventive measure. The institution has also specified that the situation does not represent a health emergency in the country.
Cross-border trade
Regarding trade with Haiti, Onofre explained that Dominican trucks have not entered Haitian territory for some time; instead, they reach the border area, where the process of transferring the goods takes place.
“It has been done this way for a long time,” he explained.
The General Directorate of Customs also recently announced new actions to strengthen the traceability of goods destined for Haiti, including measures related to cargo departure schedules.
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Onofre also referred to the security situation in Haiti and assured that the gangs operating in the neighboring country remain mainly in areas such as Port-au-Prince, while the Dominican authorities maintain constant surveillance and communication regarding what is happening on the other side of the border.
“The gangs, you know they operate in the Port-au-Prince area, they do not reach the border area. They operate over there, we as authorities are monitoring them,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Dominican authorities continue to monitor the health situation in Haiti and maintain surveillance in the border area, with no health emergency having been declared in the Dominican Republic so far.
