Florida mosquitoes test positive for malaria as officials spray area
Enlarge / A Miami-Dade mosquito control inspector sprays a pesticide to kill adult mosquitos on June 29, 2023, in Miami. The Miami-Dade mosquito control department continues its regular spraying and inspection of neighborhoods and is ready to react if malaria-carrying mosquitos are found, as they were in the Sarasota area. (credit: Getty | Joe Raedle)
Three mosquitoes collected near Sarasota, Florida, have tested positive for malaria amid an unusual cluster of locally acquired cases. It is the first time in two decades that US mosquitoes have tested positive for malaria in connection to US-based cases.
Four cases have so far been confirmed in Florida, all in close geographic proximity, health officials reported on Monday. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported Wednesday that officials are investigating a possible fifth case.
With outbreak response efforts ongoing, officials have been trapping and testing local mosquitoes. In a statement to CBS News, Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services manager said the three positive insects were among more than a hundred sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.