Unexplained Malaria Cases on Long Island: Possible Causes & Risks

Question
I work in a hospital in which during the last 48 hours, 2 people were positively diagnosed with malaria. I live on Long Island and these were people who have not been out of the country for years - could a mosquito come over on a ship or something and cause this? What else may have caused it? They most definately have it. Thank you

Answer
Hi,

I am sorry I took so long to answer...working...yuck!  lol

There are many tiny outbreaks of malaria that happen in the US.

You can have a mosquito bite someone with malaria, or a carrier...bite someone else, and boom, they have it.  Can be passed from mother to child in utero....any needlesticks, transfusions, etc. from a source.  It is blood borne, so can happen in many ways.

Don't worry about catching it, unless you are punctured with a needle  get a transfusion from a carrier, or have a mosquito bite you that bit someone who carries the disease

I hope this answered your question to your satisfaction!

Best Wishes,

Andrea