New Jersey officers examine case of malaria in Morris County resident with no latest worldwide journey

MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey well being officers are investigating a case of malaria in Morris County, with no worldwide journey.

The New Jersey Department of Health is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to analyze potential sources of an infection. Officials say it’s doable the resident was contaminated with malaria in New Jersey.

If confirmed, this might be the primary recognized regionally acquired case of malaria within the state since 1991.

It comes a couple of weeks after an area well being division in Washington State was investigating an unrelated malaria case in an individual who additionally didn’t journey internationally.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne illness attributable to a parasite transmitted by sure mosquitoes and is widespread in lots of tropical and subtropical international locations. Malaria usually causes fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. It may also trigger nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

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Malaria doesn’t frequently unfold within the U.S. While there are about 2,000 instances nationally reported every year, most of those instances are in individuals who traveled internationally.

People don’t unfold malaria to different individuals. It is feasible that individuals who had been contaminated overseas had been bitten by a mosquito that subsequently bit others and not using a historical past of worldwide journey.

“CDC is monitoring this situation closely to support the state and county health departments, as requested,” a press release from HHS mentioned.

There are about 100 travel-associated instances of malaria reported in New Jersey every year.

The well being division says there’s a kind of mosquito in New Jersey that carries malaria, however says the chance of an infection stays low.

“While risk to the general public is low, it’s important to take the necessary precautions to prevent locally acquired malaria in New Jersey. The most effective ways are to prevent mosquito bites in the first place and to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of malaria in returning travelers,” mentioned Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown.