First U.S. Malaria Cases in 20 Years Confirmed in Florida and Texas

Patients in Florida and Texas have been diagnosed with the disease, which officials say they caught stateside

Five cases of malaria have been diagnosed in the southern U.S. — and officials say the disease was acquired locally from infected mosquitos.

According to an official health advisory from the CDC, four people in Florida and one person in Texas have been confirmed to have the disease, which spreads from infected mosquitos. The CDC adds that the Florida cases are not connected to the Texas case, raising concerns about the virus’s potential reach.

The Texas patient was working outside in Cameron County, in South Texas, according to a health advisory from the Texas State Department of Health. Florida’s cases are confined to Sarasota County, according to the Florida Department of Health, which notes that “all individuals have been treated and have recovered.”

However, there has not been an update on the patient from Texas.

Most malaria cases diagnosed in the U.S. come from patients who caught the disease elsewhere and brought it back stateside. There are approximately 2,000 cases of malaria diagnosed every year in the U.S.

Back in April, a mom from Missouri died after catching the virus during a trip to West Africa, and George Clooney caught malaria in 2011 after a trip to Sudan.

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The CDC notes that international travel remains the greatest vector of malaria spread in its advisory, and adds there is “concern for a potential rise in imported malaria cases associated with increased international travel in summer 2023.”

These cases mark the first time malaria has been transmitted stateside since 2003, when eight people in Palm Beach County, Fla., caught the virus. The four cases in Florida have been confirmed to be within close geographic proximity to one another.

Although “the risk of locally acquired malaria remains extremely low,” the CDC is urging an action plan that includes “rapid access to IV artesunate, which is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States.”

Symptoms of malaria vary from person to person, according to the CDC, and can include “fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and fatigue.”

A person may start to show symptoms anywhere from 7 days to 1 year after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

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There is a vaccine for malaria; however it is encouraged for those who live in or are traveling to high-transmission areas.

And while the risk in the U.S. still remains low, control of the mosquito population is urged as malaria isn’t the only disease they spread.

Related: Study Proves Some People Are Actually More Attractive to Mosquitoes

The CDC recommends eliminating standing water on your property, which is where mosquitos lay their eggs. “Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers,” the CDC recommends.

You can prevent mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered insect repellant, but the CDC cautions that you should not use oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years old.

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