Malaria in the USA: Saline County, Arkansas

05 Oct 2023

On 4 October 2023 the Arkansas Department of Health reported a case of malaria in an Arkansas resident. The person lives in Saline County and has not travelled out of the country. This is the only known locally acquired case of malaria in Arkansas.

Advice for Travellers

Malaria is a potentially serious infection transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. It is not usually transmitted in Arkansas or anywhere else in the USA, although there have been several cases in Flordia, Maryland and Texas this year. The risk is very low at this time.

If you are travelling to Arkansas, you should:

• understand your risk of malaria
• know how to protect yourself against mosquito bites at all times during your trip, to help prevent malaria and other mosquito-borne infections
• where possible, reduce the number of mosquitoes in and around your accommodation.

If you develop a high temperature (fever) during your trip, or after you return home from an area where malaria is a risk, seek medical advice as soon as possible and tell the doctor about your recent travel history.

See the fitfortravel malaria section for further information.