Federal health officials say imported infections and widespread mosquito populations could allow localized malaria transmission to spread again in parts of the United States.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday that malaria could become reestablished in the United States decades after the disease was officially eliminated nationwide.
In a newly released report, the CDC stated that although the U.S. eliminated endemic malaria transmission in the early 1950s, the nation “remains susceptible to malaria reintroduction” because of ongoing imported infections and the widespread presence of mosquito species capable of transmitting the disease.
The agency warned that local mosquito populations could bite travelers infected abroad and then spread malaria parasites to people who have not traveled internationally.
“Local mosquitoes capable of transmission could bite someone who acquired malaria parasites outside of the United States and spread it to persons who have not traveled,” the report stated.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted through bites from infected Anopheles mosquitoes and can produce severe illness or death if untreated.
According to the CDC, approximately 2,000 malaria cases and seven deaths are reported annually in the United States, with the overwhelming majority occurring among travelers returning from countries where malaria remains endemic.
However, the agency highlighted that locally transmitted malaria has already reappeared in isolated incidents.
In 2023, officials identified 10 locally acquired malaria cases across Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, and Texas.
The CDC noted that since 1972, annual malaria case counts among U.S. civilians have steadily increased.
The report emphasized that many areas of the country remain environmentally suitable for malaria transmission, particularly regions where Anopheles mosquito species are naturally present.
The agency released updated guidance for public health officials aimed at containing future outbreaks.
Recommended measures include insecticide spraying, mosquito habitat reduction, expanded disease surveillance, and rapid identification of infected individuals.
“In contrast to vector-borne diseases that have other animal reservoirs, prompt detection and response efforts for malaria can successfully ensure that control measures directed at humans and mosquitoes effectively limit the spread of focal outbreaks,” the CDC stated.
The agency also encouraged state and local health officials to increase outreach to physicians and medical providers to ensure suspected malaria cases are rapidly reported.
Symptoms of malaria commonly include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. Severe infections can progress to convulsions, impaired consciousness, jaundice, abnormal bleeding, organ failure, and death.
According to health officials, symptoms generally appear 10 to 15 days after a bite from an infected mosquito.
The disease does not spread directly from person to person.
Globally, malaria remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.
World Health Organization reported that malaria caused approximately 610,000 deaths worldwide in 2024, primarily among young children in sub-Saharan Africa.
The WHO estimated global malaria cases increased from 273 million in 2023 to roughly 282 million in 2024.
Africa accounted for approximately 95 percent of global malaria cases and deaths, according to the WHO, with Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger representing roughly half of all fatalities in the region.
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