Adam’s Journal
I read about a new case of malaria in New Jersey. Huh? I thought malaria had been eradicated in this country.
Dr. Scofield Prescribes
You are correct: The U.S. successfully eradicated malaria in the 1950s. Nevertheless, each year, we continue to see a few thousand Americans who get infected while traveling overseas and are then diagnosed when they return home.
What makes the New Jersey case – and another one reported in Washington state last month – different is that it appears those infected had not traveled internationally.
In other words, it looks like these two people on opposite coasts contracted the illness in the U.S. And if they can, that means others can as well.
Malaria is caused by a parasite. It spreads when a mosquito bites an infected individual and then bites another person.
The type of mosquito that spreads malaria, Anopheles, exists in the U.S. If the two infected individuals never left the country, the most likely scenario is that Anopheles mosquitoes bit someone who’d acquired an infection overseas, then later bit these individuals in New Jersey and Washington.
None of this, though, is reason to panic.
First, even untreated, malaria carries an extremely low fatality rate – well under 1%. And it can be cured with prescription anti-malarial drugs, which are widely available.
Second, this is not the first time we have seen locally transmitted cases in the U.S. For example, in 2023, a handful of cases were reported in Arkansas, Florida and Texas, but no widespread outbreak followed.
Chances are, that will be what happens this time as well.
Yes, it’s possible we’ll see more cases. Still, the risk to the general public is low, and it should shrink in the coming months, as the rates of mosquito-borne illnesses tend to peak in late summer and early fall.
For malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus, the best defense is to avoid getting bitten. So, when you’re outside in areas frequented by mosquitoes, long sleeves, pants and socks will help protect you, as will insect repellant with DEET. And keep your eyes peeled for standing water, as that’s where mosquitoes often breed.
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Dr. Hal Scofield is a physician-scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and he also serves as Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Adam Cohen is OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel. Send your health questions to contact@omrf.org.
