Florida health officials reported two additional cases of malaria on Thursday, bringing the total number of locally acquired malaria infections in the U.S. to seven since May.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on June 26 asking hospitals to be on the lookout for patients with malaria symptoms and prepare to rapidly diagnose them and start administering antimalarial drugs within 24 hours.
Dr. Manuel Gordillo, an infectious disease specialist at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, said his hospital has treated four of Florida’s malaria cases this year, including the first patient found to have the infection and the two most recent cases. He said all were diagnosed shortly after they were admitted to the hospital. A couple of the patients were homeless and arrived with fevers and dehydration, Gordillo said.
"Some of the cases were sort of neglecting the symptoms and they presented way late with other complications," he said.
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To his knowledge, Gordillo said, public health officials aren't actively searching for new cases unless they show up at a clinic or hospital. The Florida Department of Health did not respond to a request for information about how it's monitoring for new cases.
Malaria is a serious, sometimes fatal, disease usually transmitted by mosquitoes, which transfer a parasite to humans through bites.Typical symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. Some patients also experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. Symptoms typically appear 10 days to four weeks after being bit by a mosquito.
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