Health Alert
Malaria in Italy
Updated November 14, 2017What is the current situation?
Italy has reported limited local transmission of malaria in the town of Ginosa in the Apulia region. Local transmission means that mosquitoes in the area may have been infected with malaria and are spreading it to people. Italy had been declared free of malaria by the World Health Organization in 1970. However, the mosquitoes that transmit malaria are present.
What can travelers do to prevent malaria?
Because malaria is spread by mosquito bites, travelers to Italy should prevent mosquito bites. Ways include using insect repellent when outdoors, wearing protective clothing, and sleeping in an air-conditioned or well-screened room or under an insecticide-treated bed net. Learn more about malaria, how to prevent it, and what to do if you think you are infected at CDC’s malaria page for travelers. At this time, CDC does not recommend that travelers to Italy take medicine to prevent malaria.
Traveler Information
Malaria Traveler Brochure
Avoid Bug Bites
CDC Malaria Website
Clinician Information
Malaria in CDC Health Information for International Travel – “Yellow Book”
Malaria and Travelers
Malaria Diagnosis & Treatment in the United States
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Page created: October 19, 2017
Page last updated: October 19, 2017
Page last reviewed: October 19, 2017
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ)