August 29, 2023

U.S. CDC: Important Updates on Locally Acquired Malaria Cases Identified in Florida, Texas, and Maryland

Please review this information from U.S. CDC on malaria acquired in the United States. In addition to the clinical resources available here, you can also learn more about the clinical management of malaria from the recent U.S. CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call held on July 20, 2023. A recording of that webinar is available at https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2023/callinfo_072023.asp.

In Maine, Anopheles mosquito vectors are present. While the risk in Maine remains low, it is possible for local mosquitoes to acquire Plasmodium spp. parasites from an infected person and transmit the parasites to a susceptible, non-infected person.

Providers should consider a malaria diagnosis in patients with unexplained febrile illnesses, particularly patients returning from areas with local malaria transmission. Confirmed and suspected patients with malaria should be reported to Maine CDC. Providers with questions about malaria diagnosis and treatment can call the U.S. CDC Malaria Hotline at 770-488-7788.

For more information on malaria, please visit www.maine.gov/dhhs/malaria or www.cdc.gov/malaria.

Advisory (PDF)