In a report released on May 9, the CDC stated that the southern U.S. border saw a 143% jump in imported malaria, with a total of 68 imported malaria cases identified during January–December 2023.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that imported malaria cases more than doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year in three southern border districts.
In a report released on May 9, the CDC stated that “a total of 68 imported malaria cases were identified during January–December 2023 from reportable disease surveillance systems in Pima, Arizona (18), San Diego, California (27), and El Paso, Texas (23).”
Compared to the 28 cases in 2022—three in Pima, twelve in San Diego, and thirteen in El Paso—this is 143 percent greater.
“Because malaria case counts were higher than expected, enhanced case investigations were initiated,” said the agency.
According to the CDC, Americans accounted for 15 out of 68 cases. Two were discovered in recently arrived refugees and two in tourists whose immigration status was unclear. 49 cases, or the bulk, were linked to “other recently arrived migrants,” which included asylum seekers.
According to the CDC, the number of imported malaria cases in 2023 increased in direct proportion to the number of “migrants” and asylum seekers who entered the country through the southern land border.
“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,” the organization recommended to medical providers.
The refugees and citizens of the United States had been through other countries where the disease was present before coming here.
“Among the 49 other newly arrived migrants, 46 (94 percent) had traveled through one or more countries with endemic malaria.”
Of the 68 instances, 63 required hospitalization, with nearly one-third having a serious illness. According to the government, Americans were less likely than “other recently arrived migrants” to have severe malaria. There have been no recorded fatalities.
“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.”
Before being completely eradicated in the 1950s, malaria was one of the biggest causes of death in the United States.
Five cases of malaria infection were reported in June of last year, four of which were in Florida and one in Texas. In two decades, this was the first local outbreak of the infectious disease.
“Malaria is a serious disease that can be fatal, and its presence within the U.S. is a cause for concern,” Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, vice president of Global Health and emergency medicine physician at Staten Island University Hospital, stated to The Epoch Times last year.
“Importation of the disease by travelers returning from regions where malaria is prevalent” was the reason given for the disease’s national expansion.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics show that in fiscal 2023, patrol agents at the southwest land border encountered 2.47 million illegal aliens, an increase from 1.73 million in fiscal 2021.
“While malaria can 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.”
Tuberculosis Reported
Illegal immigrants have not only introduced malaria to the US but also other diseases. A study published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last year disclosed the release from government custody of thousands of youngsters who were illegal immigrants and had tuberculosis.
According to the CDC, tuberculosis patients are contagious and capable of spreading the disease. HHS official Aurora Miranda-Maese stated in the study that tuberculosis would become “a threat to both the individual’s and the public’s health” if it were to become active.
Recently arriving illegal immigrants have been linked to a few cases of tuberculosis, according to Chicago Health Department authorities last month. The organization maintained there was nothing to worry about.
Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez claimed in an April 3 X post that he had alerted the city to this circumstance for months, but that “performative politics & hurt feelings” prevented any action from being taken.
“Anyone who demanded action to protect our residents was called racist, xenophobic, and anti-immigrant by fringe politicians,“ he wrote. ”And now here we are: measles, now tuberculosis both ‘confirmed’ in Chicago. Shame on every mouthpiece that worked so hard to keep this secret.
“Everyday Chicagoans MUST demand @ChicagosMayor & his cronies take this seriously, demand American immunization standards for all asylum seekers & their children within @ChiPubSchools , and stop muting the truth.”
Malaria Infection and Symptoms
Anopheles mosquitoes transmit a parasite that causes malaria. An individual may get malaria if they are bitten by mosquitoes.
The CDC states that there is a very minimal risk of malaria in the United States. Malaria cannot be contracted from another person like the flu or the common cold.”
The range of symptoms from extremely mild sickness to death. Early signs and symptoms include fever, chills, headache, sore muscles, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If treatment is not received, the illness may worsen. Seizures, coma, renal failure, and mental confusion are all possible outcomes of severe malaria.
If a person has any malarial symptoms or has visited an area where the disease is known to exist, the CDC advises them to consult a doctor “as soon as possible.”
Prescription medications are administered to treat and cure the disease once it has been diagnosed.
The kind of malaria a person has, where they got the infection, how sick they were when they started therapy, and these factors all affect the kind of medication and duration of treatment. Other important considerations while thinking about treatment are age and pregnancy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that there will be 608,000 malaria-related fatalities and 249 million cases of the disease worldwide in 2022.
Ninety-four percent of malaria cases and ninety-five percent of deaths were reported in the WHO African Region. Among the region, 80 percent of deaths were among children under the age of five.
In the meantime, the CDC advises US visitors to countries where malaria is common to travel with caution.
The organization keeps a webpage that lists the danger of malaria in various nations.
Last year, GreatGameIndia reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a nationwide advisory to alert healthcare providers and public health authorities about the discovery of malaria in the U.S. for the first time in 20 years.
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