Could malaria return to Florida?
In 2023, the U.S. saw something it hadn’t in twenty years: malaria, spread by local mosquitoes right here in Florida.
Sarasota County, FL
Florida is home to more than 80 mosquito species.
Mosquitoes flourish in Florida’s heat and humidity, where summer rain, standing water and coastal salt marshes give them ample room to breed. Not all of these species are dangerous, but nearly a quarter are capable of transmitting disease.
In the summer of 2023, seven people in Florida developed malaria, all within roughly a four-mile radius. It was the first locally transmitted malaria reported in the United States in more than two decades.
The cases stayed within one community, but served as a reminder that a disease that hasn’t spread on U.S. soil in a generation can return.
Malaria is rare in America because we led the fight against it
The fight against mosquitoes is a global one, but it starts in our own backyard.
Diseases carried by mosquitoes are opportunistic, and the more effectively we fight the disease abroad, the safer we are here at home.
That’s why U.S. investments in global health matter. Strong U.S. global health leadership helps prevent infectious disease threats from becoming larger emergencies. For less than 1% of the federal budget, these programs work to prevent, detect and treat deadly diseases around the world—stopping outbreaks at their source and helping American families stay safe at home.
Let’s keep Florida malaria-free
Tell your representative to continue protecting America from malaria and other deadly infectious diseases through U.S. leadership in global health.