At least 5 individuals have been infected with malaria in the United States, local authorities said in a health advisory in the first mosquito-borne disease cases in the country in the last two decades.
The fresh cases reported in Florida and Texas were caused by Plasmodium vivax, a less dangerous variant of malaria while all patients are recovering after responding well to medical treatment.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk of locally acquired malaria remains extremely low in the country despite fresh reports. It mentioned that CDC officials are working with other health authorities to look into the matter.
Amid the new health alert, officials are monitoring for more potential cases and planning strategies to curb populations of Anopheles – the mosquito responsible for the spread of disease.
The fresh cases triggered response and now the US will use planes and trucks to spray pesticides to end the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.
Before Covid-19 spread, the United States registered nearly 2,000 cases of travel-related malaria each year, with only less than a quarter being serious.
As per the data of the World Health Organization, there were nearly 247 million cases of life-threatening disease in 2021, and more than half of which occurred in African nations.
