Health officials say that 5 people in the US caught malaria for the first time since 2003.
Four cases of the mosquito-borne illness were reported in Sarasota County, Florida, and one other person in Cameron County, Texas.
The Florida Department of Health issued a statewide mosquito-borne illness notice on Monday, stating that all four Florida patients “have been treated and have recovered.”
The health department has advised residents to “take precautions by applying bug spray, avoiding areas with high mosquito populations, and wearing long pants and shirts when possible — especially during sunrise and sunset when mosquitoes are most active.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Palm Beach, Florida, saw the last locally acquired Texas cases in 1994 and 2003.
The CDC said the illness is brought on by a mosquito bite that contains malaria parasites. Malaria cannot be transmitted from person to person and is not contagious.
Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, headaches, and anemia, and can occasionally be fatal if left untreated.
It is reported that there are about 2,000 cases of malaria each year, however, most of these cases are detected among travelers.
The CDC issued a statement in response to one of the Florida instances, saying that the risk of most individuals contracting locally acquired malaria is now very low.
“The presence of competent mosquitoes and warmer temperatures in the Southeast will likely lead to additional cases in the coming months and years,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an infectious disease epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Future invasion of new mosquitoes, coupled with potential climate change effects, could significantly expand the malaria risk.”
“While the permanent return of malaria is still unlikely, these cases represent a broader warning of mosquito-borne diseases in the region,” he said.
