Sarasota County, Florida, has announced aerial treatments to kill mosquitoes after malaria was detected in the southern United States for the first time in 20 years.
The county plans to deploy aeroplanes and trucks overnight to spray pesticides to stem the spread of the mosquito-borne disease. The CDC issued a health advisory for malaria, stating that thousands of cases are reported each year in the United States, primarily by travelers returning from abroad.
The latest cases were identified in Florida, with a cluster of four patients identified in Sarasota County, south of Tampa along the Gulf of Mexico. A further case was found in Texas's Cameron County, also situated on the Gulf coast.
The last time Texas reported a local incident of malaria was in 1994. Although the five patients in Texas and Florida have received treatment and are improving, the CDC warned doctors and residents, particularly in warm, mosquito-friendly areas, to be on the lookout for the disease.
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease, primarily spread through bites from the female Anopheles mosquito, which can carry Plasmodium parasites. The first confirmed case in the US this year was announced on May 26. The Florida Department of Health explained that the patient had "spent extensive time outdoors" and called on residents to use mosquito repellent or wear long sleeves.
Experts fear climate change may exacerbate the spread of mosquitoes and diseases typically associated with warmer areas.
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