What To Know About Locally Acquired Malaria Cases in the U.S. —the First in 20 Years

For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. is experiencing locally acquired malaria. So far, officials have reported four individuals infected in Florida. They believe the first case of locally acquired malaria—as opposed to a case brought by a traveler from abroad—occurred in late May. Three more people in Florida presented with the disease in mid-June; another case was reported in Texas this week as well. The United States sees approximately 2,000 cases of malaria per year due to travelers returning from areas where the mosquito-borne parasitic disease is endemic. However, over the last 20 years, none of these cases have resulted in the spread of malaria to other individuals living in the continental U.S. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The current cases reported in Florida and Texas are believed to have been acquired locally, meaning that the mosquito that spread the disease first bit someone in the U.S. carrying the malaria parasite in his or her blood. This mosquito then acquired the parasite and went on to bite another person nearby, transferring the parasite between two people. Tropical places with warm and humid climates like Florida and the gulf coast of Texas are especially prone to mosquito-borne illnesses, experts say. Between 2016 and 2017, nearly 1,500 people were infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Florida and the state also conducts routine surveillance for West Nile virus. How this compares to the 2003 outbreak Malaria infect...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change Climate Is Everything Disease Explainer Source Type: news