A alert due to the presence of malaria cases in Florida issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health of that state, according to local media.
The call was made public this Monday after reporting four cases of malaria that were infected by mosquitoes, he said on Tuesday NBC Miami.
The notice from the Florida Department of Health was issued after confirming four cases of malaria in Sarasota County, on the state’s west coast.
The entity ensures that all infected people were treated and recovered, although it was decided to fumigate the area where they reside to mitigate the risks of other infections.
They also warned that state residents should take precautions against this disease, which is transmitted by mosquito bites.
Suggested measures included spraying insecticide, avoiding areas with high mosquito populations, as well as wearing long pants and shirts whenever possible, especially during sunrise and sunset when these vectors are most active.
The CDC also said there is a fifth case of malaria in Texas, although there is no evidence to suggest that case is related to those in Florida.
Likewise, they said that for the first time in 20 years, cases of malaria due to local spread were reported, since to date the disease was registered only in people infected abroad.
About 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the US each year, but the vast majority are travelers from countries where the disease is widespread.
Since 1992 there have been 11 outbreaks of mosquito malaria in the US, with the last documented in 2003 in Palm Beach County, where eight cases were reported.
This disease is caused by a parasite that spreads through mosquito bites. Infected people suffer from fever, chills and flu-like symptoms, but if left untreated, patients could develop serious complications and die.
In June 2022, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade issued a mosquito-borne disease advisory, upon confirmation of dengue in a resident of that county.
It was the first local case of dengue infection that year, specified the authorities, who recommended draining stagnant water, covering the skin, protecting the doors and windows of houses, and using repellents.
