In response to five cases of malaria being recorded in Texas and Florida over the past two months, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a health notice.
According to NBC News, the warning was sent out to physicians, public health officials, and the general public on Monday.
The four cases in Florida and one in Texas are the first locally acquired cases in 20 years, indicating the illnesses were unrelated to international travel, according to the CDC.
The latest of these regional occurrences were discovered in 2003 in Florida’s Palm Beach County.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that the instances in Florida and Texas this year are connected, according to the CDC, which also noted that the risk throughout the nation continues to be very low.
The health organization stated that “malaria is a medical emergency,” adding that all five patients have received treatment and are making a full recovery.
According to NBC News, the Texas Department of State Health Services last week verified the discovery of a malaria case in a person who had previously worked outside.
The individual had not left the nation or state.
The agency also asked people to drain puddles, keep gutters clear, cover garbage cans and often replace the water in pet dishes and bird baths in order to prevent mosquito bites. The government also advised Texas residents to use insect repellent to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to wear long sleeves and pants.
The Florida Department of Health issued a mosquito-borne disease alert for the whole state on Monday as well, noting that all four cases had been documented in Sarasota County.
The US experienced about 2,000 instances of malaria annually prior to the Covid pandemic, almost all of which were discovered in visitors from foreign nations, according to the CDC.
Every year, between 5 and 10 people pass away, it added.
