Malaria Has Been Confirmed As a Locally Acquired Disease In Maryland

(CTN News) – It has been reported that a person in Maryland has been diagnosed with malaria, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

According to the department, the case had been acquired locally rather than from a travel incident.

In the past, malaria was a common disease in the United States, including in Maryland, but we haven’t seen a case in Maryland that wasn’t related to travel in over 40 years, according to the Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott.

I would like to assure you that we take this very seriously and that we will work with local and federal health officials to investigate this case thoroughly.

The individual lives in the National Capital Region, was hospitalized, and is currently recovering from his or her illness.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that there are more than 2000 cases of malaria reported annually in the United States, as it is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.

It is possible that symptoms will appear between 7 and 30 days following an infective bite, such as a high fever, chills, body aches, diarrhea, and vomiting, depending on the severity of the infection.

According to the CDC, although the public risk for catching malaria locally remains low, you can still take some precautions to protect yourself from contracting the disease.

• Insect repellents containing DEET should be applied to exposed skin to protect it from insect bites.

• Dress in loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothing if the weather and heat allow you to do so.

• In order to keep mosquitoes from entering your house, make sure that your windows and doors are closed or covered with screens.

• In order to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in standing water, it is recommended to empty it at least once a week.

• If there is any broken screening on the windows, doors, porches, or patios, it needs to be repaired.

• In order to prepare yourself for a trip, you should research the health risks and precautions that apply to your destination in terms of malaria and other diseases.

• The best way to prevent malaria is to check with your health care provider about the latest recommendations on prescription medications that can prevent malaria before traveling abroad.

• In the event that you have traveled to an area where malaria transmission occurs more often, and if you develop fever, chills, headaches, body aches, and fatigue, then you should seek urgent medical attention. Tell your health care provider that you have traveled to an area where malaria transmission occurs more frequently.

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