For the first time in 20 years, several cases of malaria have been caught locally in the U.S., and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning doctors and public health officials to be on the lookout.
The CDC shared that usually those who contract the virus do so while traveling in overseas areas where it is more common. The disease is spread when female anopheline mosquitoes feed on a person with malaria and then feed on another.
While the bug can be found in certain regions of the country, malaria is still rare in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world, where there are 240 million cases every year. Before the pandemic, there were roughly 2,000 cases of mostly travel-related malaria, the health agency shared.
But now, five cases have popped up, four people in Florida and one in Texas. The CDC shared that the cases are not believed to be related at this time.
The Florida cases were in the same area, and health officials are monitoring to see if anyone else gets sick. They are also monitoring and trying to control local mosquito populations.
In Texas, public health officials are also on the lookout for more potential cases, though only one person has been identified at this time.
Those who have caught the disease are receiving treatment, and all of them are improving, the CDC shared.
The CDC also noted that the last time the country had locally acquired cases was in 2003, when eight people got sick in Palm Beach County, Florida.
While some might brush off the risk as it still remains “extremely low” in the country, the CDC urges people to remain diligent.
“Malaria is a medical emergency and should be treated accordingly,” the CDC said.
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