Current:Home > ScamsMalaria cases in Florida and Texas are first locally acquired infections in U.S. in 20 years, CDC warns-LoTradeCoin
Malaria cases in Florida and Texas are first locally acquired infections in U.S. in 20 years, CDC warns
View Date:2024-12-23 21:12:24
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday warned of the return of locally acquired cases of malaria, meaning the infections were not linked to foreign travel and appear to have been transmitted by mosquitoes in the U.S. carrying the parasite.
So far, there have been four locally acquired cases of malaria in Florida and one in Texas within the last two months. There's no evidence suggesting the cases in the two states are connected.
"Malaria is a medical emergency and should be treated accordingly," the CDC wrote in a Health Alert Network Health Advisory. "Patients suspected of having malaria should be urgently evaluated in a facility that is able to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment, within 24 hours of presentation."
Each year, around 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the U.S., but they're usually connected to people who've traveled out of the country.
"Despite certification of malaria eradication" in the U.S. in 1970, "small outbreaks of locally acquired mosquito-transmitted malaria continue to occur," the CDC wrote in 2003.
Locally acquired mosquito-borne malaria has not occurred in the U.S. since 2003, when there were eight cases identified in Palm Beach County, Florida.
The new cases in Florida were identified in Sarasota County, the state's Department of Health said. Officials in the state issued a statewide mosquito-borne illness advisory on Monday. All four individuals who caught the illness in the state have been treated and have recovered.
A health advisory has also been issued in Texas.
Malaria, which is caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito, can be fatal. The World Health Organization estimates the disease killed 619,000 people worldwide in 2021. But the illness can be treated and cured with prescription medications.
Symptoms include high fevers, shaking chills and flu-like illness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. While most people show symptoms that start 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, a person may feel ill as late as one year after infection.
The disease is not contagious between humans; people can get malaria by being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito.
The CDC advises the public to take steps to prevent mosquito bites and control mosquitoes at home. To prevent bites, use insect repellent. The health agency also advises wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. At home, use screens on windows and doors and use air conditioning if it's available.
- In:
- Texas
- Florida
Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.
TwitterveryGood! (6)
Related
- Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
- Ronda Rousey's apology for sharing Sandy Hook conspiracy overdue but still timely
- Coal Baron a No-Show in Alabama Courtroom as Abandoned Plant Continues to Pollute Neighborhoods
- Trump-backed Alaska Republican withdraws from US House race after third-place finish in primary
- Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane
- Polaris Dawn mission: Launch of commercial crew delayed 24 hours, SpaceX says
- LMPD officer at the scene of Scottie Scheffler's arrest charged with theft, misconduct
- Hundreds cruise Philadelphia streets in the 15th annual Philly Naked Bike Ride
- Pennsylvania House Republicans pick new floor leader after failing to regain majority
- South Carolina sets date for first execution in more than 13 years
Ranking
- 'Joker 2' actor pans DC sequel as the 'worst film' ever: 'It has no plot'
- Sales tax revenue, full costs unclear if North Dakota voters legalize recreational marijuana
- Virginia man arrested on suspicion of 'concealment of dead body' weeks after wife vanishes
- Where is College GameDay this week? Location, what to know for ESPN show on Week 0
- Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, gets engaged to girlfriend Amanda Dubin
- 'I will be annoyed by his squeaky voice': Drew Bledsoe on Tom Brady's broadcasting debut
- A$AP Rocky Shares Why Girlfriend Rihanna Couldn’t Be a “More Perfect Person”
- Oklahoma revokes license of teacher who gave class QR code to Brooklyn library in book-ban protest
Recommendation
-
The Daily Money: All about 'Doge.'
-
Florida State vs Georgia Tech score today: Live updates, highlights from Week 0 game
-
Alabama man pleads guilty to detonating makeshift bomb outside state attorney general’s office
-
Jordan Montgomery slams Boras' negotiations: 'Kind of butchered it'
-
What Just Happened to the Idea of Progress?
-
Macklemore Fan Arrested for Outstanding Warrant After She Was Invited Onstage
-
Search persists for woman swept away by flash flooding in the Grand Canyon
-
Isabella Strahan Poses in Bikini While Celebrating Simple Pleasures After Cancer Battle