Imported Malaria in New York: Geographic Patterns and Implications for Emergency Physicians

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Malaria, though not endemic, presents diagnostic challenges in the US due to imported cases.
• Emergency physicians require awareness of malaria trends for accurate patient evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze county- and city-level trends of imported malaria in New York State (NYS) and New York City (NYC) from 2018 to 2024.
• To identify geographic hotspots for imported malaria within NYS and NYC.

Main Methods:

• Utilized surveillance data to track imported malaria cases across NYS and NYC.
• Analyzed case distribution by county and city over a defined period (2018-2024).

Main Results:

• New York City (NYC) accounted for 79.1% of all reported malaria cases.
• Eleven specific counties in NYS outside NYC contributed 88.3% of the state's imported malaria cases.
• A notable decrease in cases was observed in 2020, linked to COVID-19 travel restrictions, with a subsequent rise in 2021.

Conclusions:

• Physicians evaluating febrile patients in New York emergency departments should consider recent travel history and local malaria case data.
• Targeted malaria prevention strategies are needed for identified high-incidence areas within New York State.