Malaria in the US: Should We Be Worried?
What is malaria?
Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite (Plasmodium) that infects a certain type of mosquito (called Anopheles). It does not spread from person to person. Humans get the disease from the bite of a malaria-infected mosquito.
It can cause a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild where a person has a fever, chills, and headaches to severe disease with confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.
Malaria is preventable and curable. But the WHO estimated that in 2021, almost half of the world`s population was at risk of malaria. There were an estimated 247 million cases worldwide, with 619,000 deaths that year alone. 95% of all malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa.
Malaria in the US
We see about 2000 cases of malaria each year related to travel to sub–Saharan Africa, parts of South America, and Southeast Asia. For the first time in 20 years, the US has recorded homegrown malaria cases in Florida, Texas, Maryland, and most recently Arkansas.
Most experts believe that these homegrown cases occurred because of a set of circumstances: a person infected with malaria traveled to the US from a malaria endemic area; they were then bitten by a local Anopheles mosquito. This mosquito then bit someone else, passing on the parasite.
Should I be Concerned About Catching Malaria in the US?
Catching malaria locally in the US is still highly unlikely. The US does not have the specific species of mosquito (Anopheles gambiae) which makes malaria so rampant in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, the colder winter months in the US wipe out mosquito populations every year.
But changing climatic conditions, with warmer winters, may make conditions more favorable for malaria transmission. Warmer winters mean mosquitoes start reproducing earlier, making it more likely that they will bite an infected person (who has traveled from a malaria-endemic area) and get infected themselves. The newly infected mosquitoes can then transmit infection to uninfected people locally.
What Can I Do to Prevent Getting Malaria?
If you plan to travel to a malaria-endemic area, discuss malaria chemoprophylaxis with your healthcare provider. Use insect repellants and wear loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants during your stay in these areas.
Take steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. Avoid standing water, use screens on doors and windows, and repair any holes in screens to keep mosquitoes out of the house.
If you develop a fever after traveling to an endemic area, see your doctor and tell them your travel history so they can check you for malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
