Malaria is spread through bites from infected mosquitos.Photo:Getty
Getty
Five cases of malaria have been diagnosed in the southern U.S. — and officials say the disease was acquired locally from infected mosquitos.
Accordingto an official health advisory from the CDC, four people in Florida and one person in Texas have been confirmed to have the disease, which spreads from infected mosquitos. The CDC adds that the Florida cases are not connected to the Texas case, raising concerns about the virus’s potential reach.
The Texas patient was working outside in Cameron County, in South Texas, according to a health advisory from theTexas State Department of Health. Florida’s cases are confined to Sarasota County, according to theFlorida Department of Health, which notes that “all individuals have been treated and have recovered.”
The malaria vaccine is recommended if you’re traveling to an area of high transmission of the disease.Getty
However, there has not been an update on the patient from Texas.
Most malaria cases diagnosed in the U.S. come from patients who caught the disease elsewhere and brought it back stateside. There areapproximately 2,000 cases of malariadiagnosed every year in the U.S.
Back in April,a mom from Missouridied after catching the virus during a trip to West Africa, andGeorge Clooneycaught malaria in 2011after a trip to Sudan.
The CDC notes that international travel remains the greatest vector of malaria spread in its advisory, and adds there is “concern for a potential rise in imported malaria cases associated with increased international travel in summer 2023.”
These cases mark the first time malaria has been transmittedstateside since 2003, when eight people in Palm Beach County, Fla., caught the virus. The four cases in Florida have been confirmed to be within close geographic proximity to one another.
Although “the risk of locally acquired malaria remains extremely low,” the CDC is urging an action plan that includes “rapid access to IV artesunate, which is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States.”
Symptoms of malaria vary from person to person, according to the CDC, and can include “fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and fatigue.”
Mosquitos in Florida and Texas are reportedly responsible for the new malaria infections.Getty
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Thereis a vaccine for malaria; however it isencouraged for thosewho live in or are traveling to high-transmission areas.
And while the risk in the U.S. still remains low, control of the mosquito population is urged as malaria isn’t the only disease they spread.
The CDC recommends eliminating standing water on your property, which is where mosquitos lay their eggs. “Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers,”the CDC recommends.
source: people.com
