BALTIMORE (AP) – Maryland has confirmed a case of locally acquired malaria in the state for the first time in over 40 years. Officials said the individual, who was hospitalized and is now recovering, did not travel outside of the United States or to other U.S. states with recent locally acquired malaria cases. Maryland Department of Health Secretary Laura Herrera Scott said they will work with local and federal health officials to investigate the case. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. Over 2,000 cases of malaria are reported annually in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with most cases occurring in people returning from international travel. In June, the CDC reported that four cases of malaria were detected in Florida and one case in Texas in the previous two months – the first time there had been local spread in the U.S. in 20 years.
