Update: Malaria, U.S. Armed Forces, 2019

Malaria infection remains an important health threat to U.S. service members who are located in endemic areas because of long-term duty assignments, participation in shorter-term contingency operations, or personal travel. In 2019, a total of 35 service members were diagnosed with or reported to have malaria. This represents a 40.7% decrease from the 59 cases identified in 2018. The relatively low numbers of cases during 2012-2019 mainly reflect decreases in cases acquired in Afghanistan, a reduction due largely to the progressive withdrawal of U.S. forces from that country. Although the number of cases of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum decreased in 2019, the percentage of such cases (54.3%) was the highest during any given year of the 2010-2019 surveillance period. Eleven cases of malaria were attributed to an unspecified/other source (31.4%). The number of malaria cases caused by P. vivax (n=5) was one of the lowest observed during the 10-year surveillance period, and the percentage (14.3%) of such cases remained one of the lowest. Malaria was diagnosed at or reported from 17 different medical facilities in the U.S., Germany, Afghanistan, and Korea. Providers of medical care to military members should be knowledgeable of and vigilant for clinical manifestations of malaria outside of endemic areas.