First case of locally acquired malaria reported in Maryland in decades

The Maryland Department of Health has confirmed its first case of locally acquired malaria in over 40 years.

In a recent announcement, state officials stated that a Maryland resident tested positive for malaria despite not having traveled outside the United States or to another state with recent malaria cases.

“Malaria was once prevalent in the United States, including Maryland, but we have not seen a non-travel-related case in over four decades,” said Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott. “We are treating this matter with utmost seriousness and will collaborate with local and federal health officials to investigate the case.”

The infected Maryland resident has been hospitalized and is currently recovering, according to the health department.

David Blythe, the director of the department’s Infectious Disease and Epidemiology and Outbreak Response Bureau, revealed that the patient sought medical attention due to fever and sweating, as reported by NBC Washington. Blythe suggested that the patient may have been bitten by a mosquito that had previously bitten someone with a travel history.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory regarding the occurrence of a few locally acquired malaria cases in Florida and Texas, marking the first instances of local transmission in the United States in 20 years. Blythe informed reporters that the strain found in the Maryland patient is different from the one identified in Florida and Texas, as reported by NBC News.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that typically leads to fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms, as mentioned by the CDC. The agency categorizes malaria as a “medical emergency” with a potential for fatality, particularly among children under 5 years old and pregnant women. Symptoms can vary from mild to life-threatening and may include an enlarged spleen, enlarged liver, or mild jaundice.

The CDC reports that around 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed annually, with the “vast majority” being detected in travelers and immigrants from countries where malaria is endemic.

Malaria was once prevalent in the United States until the National Malaria Eradication Program in the 1940s and ’50s effectively ended the disease’s endemic status.