Increase in Domestic Malaria Cases in Florida and Texas

Posted: June 30, 2023 12:00 pm

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is raising the alarm about an increase in cases of malaria in Florida and Texas. Prior to the last few weeks, the disease has not been detected in the U.S. in about 20 years.

Here is what you need to know about the recent cases and what symptoms to be on the lookout for.

About Malaria and its Spread

In the past, Americans diagnosed with malaria became sick with the disease while traveling internationally in parts of the world where this mosquito-borne illness is more prevalent. You have to go back to 2003 to find a confirmed case of locally spread malaria.

However, the CDC has now put U.S. health care officials on alert about some locally acquired cases of the potentially dangerous illness.

The disease is spread when a female anopheline mosquito bites a person with malaria and then feeds on another individual. This type of mosquito is found in some parts of the U.S. but better prevention measures have kept the illness at bay. On a worldwide scale, there are approximately 240 million cases of malaria annually. About 95% of the cases are found in Africa.

The discovery of homegrown malaria in the U.S. is not surprising to some climate change experts that have been warning about this possibility as temperatures continue to increase incrementally. In addition to spreading through mosquito bites, the disease is also spread through organ transplants, unsafe needle-sharing, blood transfusions, and from a mother to a fetus.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC estimated that there were about 2,000 cases of the disease found in the U.S. with most of these happening in individuals recently returning from an international trip.

The CDC is now confirming that four people in Florida and one individual in Texas were infected by the disease locally. In addition, the cases in the two states are not likely related.

Because the four Florida cases were diagnosed in the same general area, officials are actively undergoing surveillance to determine if anybody else becomes infected. Public health officials are also keeping a close eye on the mosquito populations to keep these numbers down.

Although only one case has been confirmed in Texas, authorities are monitoring the area’s mosquito hotspots to check for possible spread. The good news is that the CDC said that all five patients are being treated for the illness and showing signs of improvement.

What to Know About the Treatment of Malaria

The CDC is encouraging Americans to use insect repellent when spending time outside, particularly as the temperatures increase throughout the summer. While the risk of contracting the disease on U.S. soil is still astronomically low, an increase in travel as the pandemic wanes could bring more cases back to American borders.

Doctors are also being asked to monitor the symptoms of patients potentially presenting with the disease, especially in Florida and Texas. The most common symptoms of malaria include chills, fatigue, headache, fever, and nausea.

Most people begin to see symptoms at about 10 days to 4 weeks after the initial infection. However, patients have been diagnosed with the disease as late as one year after the first exposure.

The presence of malaria is diagnosed through a blood test. The results will indicate what type of parasite is responsible for the illness. Some parasites are resistant to specific drugs, making it important that a qualified healthcare professional ascertain what type is responsible.

Most cases of malaria can be resolved with a prescription drug. The most severe cases may require the use of a blood transfusion.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts