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CDC issues alert after five cases of malaria were acquired locally in Texas and Florida (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The cases were the first in 20 years to be acquired in the U.S., with no links to travel outside the country. The last such local cases were identified in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida.

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[–] CylonBunny 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Malaria used to be endemic in the southern US. We wiped it back in the mid 20th century using DDT, but since we no longer use DDT it was always inevitable that it would work it’s way north again. Not much we can do to stop it without resorting to something like DDT again.

[–] fiestapinguino 2 points 1 year ago

If we start using DDT again we can say goodbye to our raptor populations

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We still use DDT to control malaria.

[–] CylonBunny 2 points 1 year ago

In the United States DDT has been banned since 1972, but it is used in other countries still. You might be thinking of DEET, which has a similar name, but is not the same chemical.