What we do — and don't yet — know about the malaria cases in the U.S.
Five local cases of malaria in the U.S. have been reported --mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite bit and infected the individuals. How worried should we be? Is climate change a factor?
In the 1950s, the U.S. declared that it had wiped out malaria. As NPR reported a few years ago, this public health milestone was achieved "through the use of insecticides, drainage ditches and the incredible power of window screens."
This week, headlines trumpeted the "return" of malaria: four cases in Florida and one in Texas.
So what's going on – and how worried should Americans be?
A bit of history is in order before those questions can be answered.
For years, malaria was a serious health issue in the U.S. – in fact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was established in 1946 to quash the disease. There were 15,000 cases in 1947.
