What we do — and don't yet — know about the malaria cases in the U.S.

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/06/30/ [login to see] /what-we-do-and-dont-yet-know-about-the-malaria-cases-in-the-u-s
In the 1950s, the U.S. declared that it had wiped out malaria. As NPR reported a few years ago, this public health milestone was achieved "through the use of insecticides, drainage ditches and the incredible power of window screens."

This week, headlines trumpeted the "return" of malaria: four cases in Florida and one in Texas.

So what's going on – and how worried should Americans be?

A bit of history is in order before those questions can be answered.

For years, malaria was a serious health issue in the U.S. – in fact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was established in 1946 to quash the disease. There were 15,000 cases in 1947. But by 1950 the number was only 2,000, and then came the triumphant announcement of 1951.