SARASOTA, Fla. — Health officials announced another case of locally acquired malaria in Sarasota County, bringing the total to seven.
RELATED: 2 more cases of locally acquired malaria reported in Sarasota Co.; making 6 total
The recent locally acquired cases are the first in the country in 20 years, with the last instance being in Palm Beach County in 2003, when eight people got sick, according to the CDC.
Sarasota and Manatee counties are under a mosquito-borne illness alert, and Polk County is under a mosquito-born illness advisory, according to the most recent online report from the Department of Health.
What you need to know:
- Seven cases of locally acquired malaria have been confirmed in Sarasota County
- All were reported in the Desoto Acres and Kensington Park area
- It can't pass from person to person
- Symptoms include: Fever, chills, sweats, nausea/vomiting, headache
Malaria can't be spread from person to person. Wade Brennan, manager of Sarasota County Mosquito Management, said the malaria parasite has to incubate in the mosquito first. It's then transmitted to a human, where it incubates before it's transmitted to the next mosquito.
“It's important to take this serious. We've had local transmission. Multiple people have caught it,” Brennan said previously.
Sarasota County Mosquito Management said all the cases have been in the Desoto Acres and Kensington Park area. Earlier this month, officials said it would take four to six weeks to kill off mosquitoes with malaria.
Mosquito management in Sarasota said it only detected malaria in three mosquitoes so far, which was more than a month ago. They're targeting marsh areas to try to kill off immature mosquitoes before they can bite.
“Since the onset of malaria in Sarasota, we've treated over 470 miles by trucks, that's nighttime spray miles, and we've treated over 36,000 acres in this same area as well,” Brennan said.
Officials said previously mosquitoes only travel about a mile, and there's no indication the infected mosquitoes have traveled outside of north Sarasota.
Precautions to take:
- Wearing long sleeve shirts and pants
- Applying bug spray
- Avoiding areas with high mosquito populations
- Especially during sunrise and sunset, which is when mosquitoes are most active
The cases in Sarasota have put other local mosquito management agencies across the area on high alert. USF researchers have asked for the public's help tracking mosquitoes in the area
RELATED:
- Sarasota Mosquito Management needs at least 4 weeks to kill off mosquitos with malaria
- Hillsborough mosquito management on high alert amidst malaria cases in Sarasota
- USF researchers ask for public's help to track mosquito population in Tampa Bay
- Pasco County Mosquito Control District upping efforts to treat mosquitos
