PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. – A woman in Pierce County is being treated for malaria, despite not having traveled recently. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department stated that this could mark the first known locally acquired case of malaria in Washington State, if confirmed.

Officials are collaborating with the State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the potential sources of the infection. They suggested the most likely scenario involves a mosquito biting someone who contracted the disease while traveling and then passing it on to the woman.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. It commonly results in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. While it does not spread directly from person to person, it can become

See Full Page