Malaria in Florida and Texas

[Tiny]

I had a hard time deciding where to put this - politics or current events.    I'm going with Current Events - cause lots of States have mosquitos (the variety that spread Malaria). 

I have one of those weird interests in Communicable diseases that effect large populations of people.   I'm also interested in vitamin deficiency diseases (we don't see reports of these very often).  And, um, Train related Deaths in the US.    I use to call in sick to work with one of the Big Diseases - because the sick policy was so stupid.   I was actually sick and not taking a "sick of work" day. 

Malaria and TB are some of the big "old time" diseases that still plague humans.       Malaria and TB are curable - it's not a one and done kind of cure.  it takes constant action (taking your meds as prescribed) and time - months up to 6 months of TB way  longer than a course of antibiotics   (did you know that most people have a hard time following thru on a course of antibiotics?   that's what  a 7 day course or 10, or 14 days?)    

Anyway...

Malaria was eliminated in America by 1950.   but few people talk about the consequences of relentless spraying/use of insecticides had on nature.       

And so we come to two States that politicized the Public Health care and vaccines (with Covid19)  and then this happened:  

www.cnn.com/2023/07/07/health/florida-texas-malaria-cases/index.html

Will the Florida public health department be able to launch an effective campaign to help protect Floridians (and tourists)?   Will anyone pay attention to it.? 

I'm guessing the antivaxxers will be up in arms if it's recommended to get the new Malaria vaccine (can't wait to see how that gets a racism spin  - malaria is a big problem in continents filled with brown people and they are the people the vaccine is meant to help the most. )

So,  I'm wondering  what medications will be determined to be effective against Malaria in Texas and Florida  (I'm guessing it won't be ivermectin  or hydroxychloroquine)   maybe it will be something new like aspirin dissolved in Bud Light  or Coca Cola.... 

I'm wondering what kind of crazy things will be prescribed to keep mosquitos out of your yard -  maybe burning onion skins  or painting your fence black  or pissing/pooping outside (why not add dysentery to the list of woes??) 

I'm wondering how Texas and Florida will spin their new problem (that's spread by very common bugs).   

I'm wondering what kind of environmental impact will happen - American flora and fauna have had over 50 years of NOT having to deal with Malaria.    

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Here come the people taking aquarium cleaner tablets again.

[Tennesseer]

Bleach IV drips.

[andi9899]

Yet another reason I won't set foot in the state of Florida. I have to go to Texas every so often. I wonder if malaria boosters are a thing.

[pulmonarymd]

Hydroxychroloquine is actually a treatment for malaria. The conspiracy theorists may actually get this one right.

In all seriousness, this was bound to happen. Climate change will allow diseases to spread. Nature is trying to kill you, and will have even more opportunities to do so. We could also see a re-emergence of yellow fever, and the spread of dengue and other mosquitoes spread diseases from the Caribbean as the climate in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. It will require robust public health responses. It will be interesting to see how Republican governor respond to the threat, and if they have any interest in rebuilding there public health infrastructure

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Yeah but not from aquarium tablets. I remember it all being pulled off the shelves and locked up during West Nile because people were buying it as medicine.

I forgot how many people poisoned themselves.

Now if there is a run on tonic water that would actually make sense since that was it's original use in British occupied India.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 9, 2023 10:30:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Hydroxychroloquine is actually a treatment for malaria. The conspiracy theorists may actually get this one right.

In all seriousness, this was bound to happen. Climate change will allow diseases to spread. Nature is trying to kill you, and will have even more opportunities to do so. We could also see a re-emergence of yellow fever, and the spread of dengue and other mosquitoes spread diseases from the Caribbean as the climate in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. It will require robust public health responses. It will be interesting to see how Republican governor respond to the threat, and if they have any interest in rebuilding there public health infrastructure

In our monthly utility bill there is a fee for mosquito spraying during mosquito season. Memphis has had six yellow fever outbreaks with the worse one in 1878 with 17,000 cases and 5000+ deaths. All outbreaks were in the 1800s.

[busymom]

Lovely.  Another pandemic ignored by the Republicans.      Like they didn't kill off enough citizens the last time. 

[jerseygirl]

Present vaccines are primarily for infants and small children but not in the US and think only starting trials on adults , in Africa

www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/biologics-research-projects/keeping-blood-and-blood-products-safe-developing-tests-malaria-and-other-parasites-and-helping

And only one drug approved for treatment in US

www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-only-drug-us-treat-severe-malaria

Malaria used to be prevalent in southern US till mosquitoes were greatly diminished

Big leap here by folks trying their best to make political points

[pulmonarymd]

Jul 9, 2023 11:53:31 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

Present vaccines are primarily for infants and small children but not in the US and think only starting trials on adults , in Africa

www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/biologics-research-projects/keeping-blood-and-blood-products-safe-developing-tests-malaria-and-other-parasites-and-helping

And only one drug approved for treatment in US

www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-only-drug-us-treat-severe-malaria

Malaria used to be prevalent in southern US till mosquitoes were greatly diminished

Big leap here by folks trying their best to make political points

So the fact that malaria seems to be spreading in the US is nothing to be concerned about? Good to know.

Florida has vacancies in 2 of the top public health positions and its top public health official is a vaccine skeptic. I think having some concern about how they will respond is warranted. In addition, DeSantis is feuding with the CDC, making a coordinated response less likely.

Geographic range of disease and vectors is changing. We need to acknowledge that. Many mosquito born diseases were prevalent in the US in the past, and there is little reason to believe that they may not reappear in the future. Given the response of conservatives to the Covid pandemic, I think concern about how they respond to this is not overblown

[jerseygirl]

I certainly didn’t say not to be concerned about spread of malaria.
Given the paucity of drugs snd vaccines for adults, seems best prevention is mosquito control - as in past

[pulmonarymd]

Then what was your point?

[jerseygirl]

Jul 9, 2023 12:52:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Then what was your point?

Point was to give factual info about vaccines and meds

[Tiny]

Jul 9, 2023 10:30:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Hydroxychroloquine is actually a treatment for malaria. The conspiracy theorists may actually get this one right.

In all seriousness, this was bound to happen. Climate change will allow diseases to spread. Nature is trying to kill you, and will have even more opportunities to do so. We could also see a re-emergence of yellow fever, and the spread of dengue and other mosquitoes spread diseases from the Caribbean as the climate in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. It will require robust public health responses. It will be interesting to see how Republican governor respond to the threat, and if they have any interest in rebuilding there public health infrastructure

Yes! it is.  My cutting and pasting skills and proof reading are not that good.   Thank you for catching that! 

[pulmonarymd]

Jul 9, 2023 13:10:34 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

Jul 9, 2023 12:52:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Then what was your point?

Point was to give factual info about vaccines and meds

Then why throw in the line about politics . There are a number of drugs that can be used for malaria. Some are used off label. CDC approval is not necessary for them to be used for treatment, as we can see with conservatives pushing hydroxychroloquine and ivermectin as a treatment for Covid, even after they have b en shown to be ineffective

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jul 9, 2023 13:54:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Jul 9, 2023 13:10:34 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

Point was to give factual info about vaccines and meds

Then why throw in the line about politics . There are a number of drugs that can be used for malaria. Some are used off label. CDC approval is not necessary for them to be used for treatment, as we can see with conservatives pushing hydroxychroloquine and ivermectin as a treatment for Covid, even after they have b en shown to be ineffective

It really was in the original post—the first reference to politics.

[pulmonarymd]

Jul 9, 2023 15:40:37 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Jul 9, 2023 13:54:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Then why throw in the line about politics . There are a number of drugs that can be used for malaria. Some are used off label. CDC approval is not necessary for them to be used for treatment, as we can see with conservatives pushing hydroxychroloquine and ivermectin as a treatment for Covid, even after they have b en shown to be ineffective

It really was in the original post—the first reference to politics.

She was talking about where to put it. I did not see anything political about what she posted

[Tiny]

The thing is - sure there are 7 people confirmed to have Malaria in America and that they were infected in America (and not a foreign country). I would suspect that they must have been sick enough to go to the doctor and maybe a hospital AND that they weren't getting better or had some complication from their infection. I'm not sure a blood test for Malaria is common in America?


What this means is there are probably way more than 7 people walking around with Malaria parasite - and that they may be spreading it without knowing it. Which mean it may spread from Texas and Florida to other States. On the plus side - humans are the primary reservoir of malaria.

We got thru West Nile Virus only  225 deaths in 2021. Animals are a reservoir of the virus.  It's not going away anytime soon. 

We got thru the Zika virus in 2016/17:   There is no current local transmission of Zika virus in the continental United States. The last cases of local Zika transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States were in Florida and Texas in 2016-17.


I guess it will depend on if the transmission of malaria can be stopped in a timely fashion. 

[weltschmerz]

Jul 9, 2023 10:30:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Hydroxychroloquine is actually a treatment for malaria. The conspiracy theorists may actually get this one right.

In all seriousness, this was bound to happen. Climate change will allow diseases to spread. Nature is trying to kill you, and will have even more opportunities to do so. We could also see a re-emergence of yellow fever, and the spread of dengue and other mosquitoes spread diseases from the Caribbean as the climate in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. It will require robust public health responses. It will be interesting to see how Republican governor respond to the threat, and if they have any interest in rebuilding there public health infrastructure

That's what I was going to say. I'm sure they all stocked up on hydroxychloroquine.
That being said, I'm sure that if the government says they SHOULD take it, there will be screams about how the government is trying to poison them.

[Deleted]

Jul 9, 2023 10:18:23 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Yet another reason I won't set foot in the state of Florida. I have to go to Texas every so often. I wonder if malaria boosters are a thing.

Only Texas case was in Cameron County on the Rio Grande river at the border with Mexico

[andi9899]

Jul 10, 2023 20:58:33 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Jul 9, 2023 10:18:23 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Yet another reason I won't set foot in the state of Florida. I have to go to Texas every so often. I wonder if malaria boosters are a thing.

Only Texas case was in Cameron County on the Rio Grande river at the border with Mexico

Oh, ok. Thanks. I'll keep my behind in N Texas where I belong and not worry about it then. Hopefully that's still the case in the fall when I go back.

[Tiny]

Just a follow up. Because Malaria is interesting.

All Florida cases are in Sarasota County.

New malaria case in Florida brings national total to 8, the first U.S. acquired cases in 20 years

www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-malaria-case-florida-brings-national-total-8-first-us-cases-20-yea-rcna94899



FWIW: The first mosquitos of the season with West Nile Virus have shown up in mosquito traps sort of locally (in the Counties next door to mine.)
I wonder if Florida and Texas have the same level of mosquito surveillance as my State (and counties) have?