Arkansas Confirms Domestic-Borne Malaria Case A string of local cases were recorded in the U.S. South this summer

 

An Arkansas resident has contracted malaria despite having no recent history of international travel, continuing a string of domestic cases that has officials on high alert.

A resident of Saline County, near the outskirts of Little Rock, has a case of “locally acquired” malaria, the Arkansas Department of Health confirmed Wednesday. 

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This summer, the country experienced a bizarre outbreak of locally acquired malaria cases, with reports coming from Maryland, Florida, and Texas.

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Some experts have said that heat waves may be contributing, as the pests prefer warmer temperatures, and longer periods of warm weather give them more time to multiply and spread the disease. Other mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus and Dengue Fever have also been unusually common this year.

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Experts tell The Messenger that these cases likely appear in America after a malaria-positive tourist brings the parasite into the country. Then, a mosquito bites the person — infecting the bug — and then passes it on to a human it bites later.

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The United States records about 2,000 to 2,500 cases of malaria per year, most of these cases acquired while traveling. Experts have said that while these locally acquired cases don’t merit panic, they are concerning. 

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Arkansas officials say that they have confirmed five over cases of malaria this year, though the others had links to international travel.

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