US issues nationwide alert after 5 residents get malaria from mosquito bites
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Mosquito
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a health alert to doctors, public health authorities and members of the public on Monday after documenting five cases of malaria acquired within the U.S. over the last two months.
The cases — four in Florida and one in Texas — are the first in 20 years to be acquired locally, meaning the infections were not linked to travel outside the country. The last such local cases were identified in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida.
There is no evidence to suggest that this year’s Florida and Texas cases are related, the CDC said, adding that the risk throughout the country remains extremely low.
Malaria is a serious, sometimes fatal, disease usually transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease does not spread from person to person, but mothers can pass malaria to their fetuses during pregnancy or to their infants during delivery.
“Malaria is a medical emergency,” the CDC alert said.
All five patients have gotten treatment and are recovering, according to the agency.
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced last week the detection of a local malaria case in a person who had spent time working outdoors. The person had not traveled outside the country or state.
The department advised Texas residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellant and wearing long sleeves and pants. Since mosquitos lay eggs in standing water, the department also encouraged people to drain puddles, keep gutters clear, cover trash containers and regularly change the water in pet dishes and bird baths.
