US reports five malaria cases, first domestic case since 2003: health officials

It was the first time since 2003 that five people in the United States had contracted malaria, according to health officials.

Four people in Sarasota County, Florida, and one in Cameron County, Texas, reported mosquito-borne infections, state officials said. Cameron County is the southernmost county in Texas, approximately 2,300 miles from Sarasota, Florida.

Note: The media player video is from a previous report.

All four Florida patients “have been treated and have recovered,” according to the Florida Department of Health’s statewide mosquito-borne disease advisory released Monday. The health department urged residents to take preventative measures, such as using insect repellent, avoiding mosquito-infested areas, and wearing long pants and shirts if possible, especially at sunrise, when mosquitoes are most active. and at sunset,” he advises.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the last locally acquired cases in Texas occurred in 1994 and 2003 in Palm Beach, Florida.

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