US Reports First Locally Acquired Malaria Cases in the Country in 20 Years – News18

The top health agency in the United States has issued a warning to public health officials regarding the emergence of locally acquired malaria cases after five cases of malaria were reported in the past two months.

This marks the first instance of locally transmitted malaria in the United States in the past two decades, according to the US media reports.

US health officials are expressing alarm over recently reported cases of locally acquired malaria in Texas and Florida.

These cases are concerning because they indicate that mosquitoes within the US are carrying the malaria parasite, a situation that has not been observed since 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Malaria cases in the country are usually associated with individuals contracting the disease while traveling to regions where malaria is prevalent.

Globally, millions of cases are reported each year, with 95 percent occurring in Africa. However, with the ongoing climate crisis and rising temperatures, experts have warned that malaria could become more common in the US.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the US reported around 2,000 malaria cases each year, predominantly related to travel.

In Florida, public health officials are monitoring the affected areas and identifying the source of additional cases.

Efforts are also underway to control the local mosquito population.

US officials are also closely monitoring the situation in the state of Texas for any new cases, while also monitoring the local mosquito population.

Despite these recent cases, the CDC reassures that the risk of contracting malaria in the US remains extremely low.

However, with the summer travel season underway in the country, more imported cases could be reported.

(With agency inputs)