'Locally Acquired' Malaria Case Reported In MD: Health Department

MARYLAND — State health officials on Friday said a resident in Maryland's National Capital Region recently caught malaria locally, a rarity for the disease. Malaria cases are typically tied to travel outside the United States.

A handful of residents in Florida and Texas have been confirmed as contracting malaria from local sources this summer, too, the first such flareup in 20 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The Maryland Department of Health has confirmed and reported a positive case of locally acquired malaria in the Maryland resident, who was hospitalized and is recovering. The patient did not travel recently outside the United States or to other U.S. states with recent locally acquired malaria cases.

“Malaria was once common in the United States, including in Maryland, but we have not seen a case in Maryland that was not related to travel in over 40 years,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott in a news release. “We are taking this very seriously and will work with local and federal health officials to investigate this case.”

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. More than 2,000 cases of malaria are reported annually in the U.S., according to the CDC, with most cases occurring in people returning from international travel.

Maryland typically reports around 200 travel-related malaria cases each year, and the Maryland Department of Health investigates each case for cause and risk.

Symptoms of malaria usually appear seven to 30 days after an infective bite and include high fever, chills, body aches, diarrhea and vomiting.

“Malaria can be very dangerous and even fatal if it is not treated, but early treatment reduces the chances of complications,” said Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman. “We urge the public to take precautions against mosquito bites, and if you develop symptoms after traveling abroad, seek urgent medical care.”

The state will spray for mosquitoes after 7:30 p.m. Friday with a permethrin-based solution approved for use in public health mosquito control programs without posing unreasonable risks to human health, said the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

While not all mosquitoes carry diseases, MDA suggests these precautions to minimize exposure to mosquito bites:

• Wear long, loose fitting, light colored clothing
• Wear insect repellents according to product labels
• Avoid mosquito infested areas during prime periods of activity (between dusk and dawn)
• Install, inspect, and repair window and door screens in homes and stables
• Regularly clean bird baths and bowls for pet food and water
• Remove or empty all water-holding containers

Information on malaria is available at health.maryland.gov/malaria and CDC.gov/parasites/malaria.