![]() Malaria is caused by an infection with one of five protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus. The occasional small clusters of locally acquired cases, like the recent cases in Florida and Texas, are typically thought to be spread from an imported case, usually in a tight geographic area. The cases are mostly among people who return from travel to malaria-endemic regions. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US typically saw around 2,000 imported malaria cases each year, with around 300 severe cases and five to 10 deaths. The four infected people in Florida, who have all since recovered, were in close geographic proximity to each other, and the Texas case occurred in a person who spent time working outdoors. There is no indication that the Florida cases and the Texas case are linked in any way. So far, there have been four cases in Florida's Sarasota County and one case in Texas' Cameron County, which sits at the state's far eastern border with Mexico, where malaria is endemic. The Florida and Texas cases are the first locally acquired malaria infections in the US since 2003, the agency highlighted. In a health alert Monday evening, the agency expressed concern that the country could see a rise in imported cases due to increased international travel this summer. ![]() The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning doctors to be on the lookout for malaria cases after five people who had not traveled outside of the country fell ill with locally acquired infections in Texas and Florida. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |