There have been some locally acquired cases of malaria in Florida and Texas — the first outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. in 20 years, health officials warned in a warning.
The risk of contracting malaria in the U.S. remains extremely low, it said.
Malaria is caused by the bite of an infected mosquito. People can’t catch it from each other. But the insects catch it from infected humans – and the cycle continues.
It is widespread in large areas of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, but not in the United States.
However, Anopheles mosquitoes, which are found in many parts of the US, can transmit malaria if they have fed on an infected person.
The risk is higher in areas where:
- the climate means that insects survive most of the year
- travelers from malaria-endemic areas are encountered
Infected people may suffer from fever, sweating and chills. Malaria is an emergency and must be treated quickly with drugs to kill the parasite that causes the infection.
Using insect repellent and covering up can help protect against mosquito bites.
The CDC says it is working with the Florida and Texas health departments and those recently diagnosed and treated are “improving.”
US doctors are advised to consider malaria in anyone with an unexplained fever, regardless of international travel history, especially if they have visited or live in the affected areas of Florida or Texas.
Florida issued a mosquito-borne disease alert after cases were found in Sarasota County and Manatee County, warning residents to drain standing water where mosquitoes can breed and to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.