Arkansas Department of Health identifies case of locally acquired malaria in Saline County

SALINE COUNTY, Ark. – State officials said a central Arkansas resident has recently contracted a locally acquired case of malaria.

On Wednesday, Department of Health officials said the case of locally acquired malaria was identified in a patient from Saline County and noted that the individual has not traveled out of the country.

ADH officials said this is the only known locally acquired case of malaria in Arkansas. Only nine other locally acquired cases were reported in the United States this year.

Five other cases of malaria have been reported in Arkansas this year, but in those cases, according to the ADH, the disease was contracted outside the country.

Experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained that malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that led to an estimated 627,000 deaths in 2020. Symptoms include fever, shaking chills, sweating, headache, body aches, nausea and vomiting, which start up to 30 days after infection.

Officials with the ADH said individuals can take precautions against malaria by using bug repellant, avoiding areas with high mosquito populations and wearing long pants and shirts when possible.

For more information on malaria, visit CDC.gov.

from KARK https://ift.tt/Uw3MuvN