The Florida Department of Health issued a statewide alert after four people in Sarasota contracted malaria in locally transmitted cases, coming a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a similar notice for Florida and Texas.
“All individuals have been treated and have recovered. Malaria is transmitted through infected mosquitoes,” said Florida’s Department of Health in a release issued Tuesday.
The agency said that ground and airborne spraying that targets mosquitos will be carried out around Sarasota, a city located near Tampa, in a bid to mitigate the transmission of the parasite, Plasmodium vivax.
“Effective treatment is readily available through hospitals and other health care providers,” said the department. “Individuals in this area with symptoms of fever, chills, sweats, nausea/vomiting, and headache should seek immediate medical attention.”…