Sarasota County, Florida — Mosquitoes are ready to bite you on a hot summer day. Two new local malaria cases were reported this week.
“We live in paradise, but living in this paradise in a subtropical environment means that there are mosquitoes that can cause disease,” said Eric Jackson, spokesman for the Lee County Mosquito Control District. We have to recognize it,” he said.
Two new cases were reported between June 25 and July 1, according to the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Arbovirus Surveillance.
On June 19, the FDOH (DOH-Sarasota County and DOH-Manatee County) issued a mosquito-borne disease alert for Sarasota and Manatee counties after reporting two malaria cases. As of 6 July, a total of 6 cases have been reported.
What’s even scarier? All obtained locally.
A map shared by FDOH shows two cases of malaria. However, the second map shows that there are 6 cases and 3 malaria-positive mosquitoes located between Manatee and Sarasota counties.
“This is the largest outbreak we’ve seen since about 2003,” said Dr. Ian Gonsenhauser of Ree Health.
Dr. Gonsenhauser said such outbreaks are rare in the United States, but mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal.
Scientists at the Lee County Mosquito Control District catch, test, and treat disease-carrying mosquitoes.
“These mosquitoes were caught in traps, which may contain different types of mosquitoes and insects,” said scientist Milton Sterling.
The Lee County Mosquito Control Department collects and isolates mosquitoes from traps placed throughout the district.
Upon discovering species that could carry harmful diseases such as malaria, crews target specific areas where mosquitoes were trapped.
“Anopheles mosquitoes are capable of spreading the malaria parasite,” Jackson said.
So what are the symptoms of malaria?
“What they’re looking for is general fatigue, like being hit by a truck, like you get when you have a bad flu,” Dr. Gonsenhauser says.
Malaria can be treated with drugs, so call your doctor as soon as possible if you experience fever symptoms.
according to CDC, Most malaria cases in the United States are imported by travelers from countries where malaria is endemic. However, cases of mosquito-borne malaria may occur locally. Anopheles mosquito Vector mosquitoes are present throughout the United States. In 2003, he had eight cases of domestic infection. vivax malaria parasite Malaria confirmed in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Related article: Malaria cases in Sarasota mark first U.S. outbreak in 20 years
