Malaria among members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 2025

Malaria infection remains a potential health threat to U.S. service members located in or near endemic areas due to duty assignments, participation in contingency operations, or personal travel. This report summarizes findings from surveillance of malaria infections among U.S. service members in 2025 and analyzes trends for a 10-year period, from 2016 through 2025. In 2025, 36 cases of malaria were diagnosed among U.S. service members, representing a 12.5% increase from 32 cases reported in 2024. The majority of malaria cases occurred in service members who were male (94.4%), in the active component (80.6%), and serving in the Army (63.9%). Africa was the leading region of acquisition (n=14), primarily for P. falciparum infections. A significant 2025 finding is a shift in the predominant species to P. vivax, which accounted for 41.7% (n=15) of all cases, a notable increase from 10% of all cases in 2024. Most P. vivax cases (80.0%) were acquired in Korea. Seasonality of infection remained consistent, with 72.1% of cases diagnosed May through October. These findings underscore the critical need for continuous surveillance, strict command emphasis on personal protective measures, and region-specific prevention strategies to protect the health of the force and maintain military readiness. The rise of P. vivax from Korea along with persistent P. falciparum infection from Africa not only directly affect force health protection but demonstrate a dynamic, regionally specific threat that requires specialized prevention strategies to maintain military readiness.