More malaria cases in the US
Two new cases of malaria were reported in Florida in the US last week, according to officials, noted The Staten Island Advance. This has increased the total number of locally-transmitted infections in the US to 7. While the number of cases may not sound alarming, the disease has been announced as a health advisory warning by the US CDC, as the latest cases represent the first time the disease has spread locally within the country since 2003.
How malaria spreads
Malaria is a serious disease transmitted through the bite of a female tropical mosquito bite. In rare cases, it can also transmit from a mother to fetus, through blood transfusion, organ transplantation or unsafe needle-sharing practices.
Symptoms to note
Most common symptoms of malaria to look out for include fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Malaria may also cause anemia and jaundice due to the loss of red blood cells.
When do symptoms start showing?
According to health experts, symptoms typically begin 10 days to four weeks after infection. However, manifestations of the disease can begin as early as seven days and as late as one year after a mosquito bite. Immediate treatment is essential as delay can lead to kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and even death.
Treatment
The recent U.S. cases were caused by a parasite called P. vivax, which isn’t as deadly as some other parasites that cause malaria. However, it can lie dormant in the liver and lead to chronic infections months to even years after an initial illness.
Doctors typically prescribe two treatments for P. vivax – one to kill the parasite in the blood, and another to kill the parasite in the liver, reported The Staten Island Advance. The antimalarial drugs chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are usually the first line of treatment.
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Malaria cases around the world
Around 240 million malaria cases occur every year. Most of these occur in Africa. Usually, cases in the US occur following travel from countries with active malaria transmission, causing around 200 cases and five to 10 deaths annually.
According to the World malaria report 2019, India represents 3% of the global malaria burden. The report added that India showed a reduction in reported malaria cases of 49% and deaths of 50.5% compared with 2017.
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