“An emergency operation is under way in the Salamat region of Chad after an ‘alarming’ rise in cases of malaria,” BBC News reports. “Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said the number of reported new cases rose from 1,228 in the first week of August to 14,021 by the end of the month,” the news service notes, adding that while “[c]ases of the mosquito-borne disease do peak during the July to November rainy season … MSF Health Adviser for Chad Turid Piening said the sudden high spike in this area is unusual.” According to BBC, Piening said, “More than 80 percent of people who are coming for consultations are coming because they are infected with malaria, normally its 30-40 percent at this time of year.” The news service notes, “The cause of the sudden increase in cases is unclear” (Mazumdar, 9/4). “In response, MSF has sent an emergency medical team to respond to the situation,” the organization reports in a press release, adding, “The team is supporting local health centers with malaria diagnostic tests and treatment supplies, training Ministry of Health staff and strengthening epidemiological surveillance” (9/3).