On Friday, 18 August 2023, A Maryland resident tested positive for the state’s first case of locally acquired malaria strain in more than 40 years, said officials.
The unnamed person who had to be hospitalised earlier and is now recovering did not travel out of the country or the states in recent times, therefore, acquiring malaria locally, said the Maryland Department of Health in a statement.
Secretary of Maryland Department of Health, Laura Herrera Scott made a statement on the surprising return of local malaria in the state “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.”
“We are taking this very seriously and will work with local and federal health officials to investigate this case,” she added.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by parasites. Fever, chills and flu-like illness are some of the symptoms of the disease when acquired.
According to health department officials, symptoms usually take about seven to thirty days to appear after experiencing a bite.
