Another case of locally acquired malaria was recently identified, this time in Maryland, according to health officials.
It’s the latest in a series of infections that have popped up in the U.S., including seven in Florida and one in Texas.
These are the first confirmed malaria cases acquired locally in the U.S. since 2003 when eight cases were reported in Florida’s Palm Beach County, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Warnings have been issued by officials for the public and clinicians to be on alert, but an expert said the risk to the public remains low and there is no reason for most people to be concerned.
“I don’t think the average person needs to be worried,” Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, chair of the department of epidemiology at Florida International University, told ABC News. “I mean, you’re talking about a handful of cases in communities where there’s millions and millions of people, right, so your average person is not at an elevated risk.”