Malaria resurfaces in USA after 20 years, CDC says

Locally acquired malaria caused by P. vivax has spread in two US states within the last 2 months according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the first home acquired malaria case in the USA after 20 years. Four cases of malaria were identified in Florida and a case in Texas, the report says.

Increased surveillance have been mounted in the affected states to detect more cases and limit the spread.

Malaria is contagious and is transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the two species that pose the greatest threats. Bites from uninfected mosquitoes has no risk, but if an uninfected mosquito bites an individual with the malaria parasite, and completes the development cycle, it could infect humans. Malaria does not spread from person to person.

In the USA, despite the abundance of Anopheles mosquitoes, the risk of having malaria is very low, unlike in Africa, Asia, Central America and South America where malaria is endemic most probably due to the climate. The risk of getting malaria increases if the climate allows mosquitoes to survive all year and when people visit malaria endemic areas.

The five infected person have effectively been treated despite increased surveillance.

Once a person is bitten by an infected mosquitoes, the symptoms which includes fever, headache, and cold-related symptoms should manifest within 10 – 15 days of bite, except the individual has some level of immunity which could result in no symptoms. Prompt diagnosis should be carried out when malaria is suspected to avoid severe illness and death.

Doctors in the US are advised to pay close attention to patients with febrile conditions to rule out or establish quick diagnosis of malaria irrespective of the travel history of US residents.

Malaria is preventable and treatable. The easiest way to prevent it is to ensure that the vector does not breed and complete the required cycle for it to become infectous. In other words, water bodies should be drained to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. If you wear protective clothing you will protect yourself against mosquito bites.

CDC report shows that about 2000 cases of largely travel-related malaria were diagnosed in the USA each year, with about 300 people that experienced severe P. falciparum malaria yearly. Most of the cases according to the report were imported during the summer and early fall seasons.

Malaria as a medical emergency should be promptly diagnosed and treated.