Cases of imported malaria in three southern border areas doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“During January–December 2023, a total of 68 imported malaria cases were identified from reportable disease surveillance systems in Pima, Arizona (18), San Diego, California (27), and El Paso, Texas (23),” the CDC said in a May 9 report.
This marks a 143 percent increase from the 28 cases reported in 2022. During that year, there were three cases in Pima, 12 in San Diego, and 13 in El Paso.
“Because malaria case counts were higher than expected, enhanced case investigations were initiated,” said the agency.
The CDC found that 15 out of 68 cases occurred among U.S. residents. Two were found in newly arrived refugees and two among travelers with unknown immigration status. The majority, 49 cases, were identified among “other newly arrived migrants,” including asylum seekers.
According to the CDC, the rise in imported malaria cases in 2023 correlates with the influx of asylum seekers and other “migrants” entering the United States through the southern land border.
The agency advised healthcare professionals to “obtain a complete travel history, consider malaria among symptomatic patients with recent travel through areas where malaria is endemic, and initiate prompt testing and, if indicated, treatment.”
Before arriving in the United States, the U.S. residents and refugees had traveled through other nations infected with the disease.
“Among the 49 other newly arrived migrants, 46 (94 percent) had traveled through one or more countries with endemic malaria.”
Out of the 68 cases, 63 were hospitalized, with almost a third experiencing severe disease. The agency noted that severe malaria was more common among “other newly arrived migrants” than among American residents. No deaths have been reported.
“Approximately 2,000 malaria cases are imported into the United States annually, mostly among U.S. residents with recent travel to areas with endemic malaria.”
Malaria was once a major cause of death in the United States before it was wiped out in the 1950s.
Last June, five cases of malaria infection on U.S. soil were reported—four in Florida and one in Texas. This was the first local spread of the infectious disease in two decades.
Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, emergency medicine physician at Staten Island University Hospital and vice president of Global Health, stated last year that “malaria is a serious disease that can be fatal, and its presence within the U.S. is a cause for concern.”
He attributed the spread in the country to the “importation of the disease by travelers returning from regions where malaria is prevalent.”
According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), patrol agents encountered 2.47 million illegal immigrants at the southwest land border in fiscal 2023, up from 1.73 million in fiscal 2021.
“While it’s possible for malaria to become endemic again (in America), it’s too early to make definitive predictions,” Dr. Cioe-Pena stated. “Nevertheless, the situation serves as a reminder of the need for continuous vigilance against infectious diseases, even those considered eradicated, and for ongoing investments in public health infrastructure.”
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