CDC Malaria information - maps

[Jeffrey Kopp]

On Fri, 5 Feb 1999 14:46:01 -0800, you wrote:

>Malaria information from the CDC
>
>http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol2no1/zuckerei.htm
>
>This website contains maps showing areas where malaria was believed
>endemic in 1882 and 1912.
>The Willamette Valley is prominent among them.
>
>They also list a number of Anopholes mosquitoes, and note that there are
>mosquitoes capable
>of transmitting malaria in all the "Lower 48."
>
>They believe malaria was brought from Europe and Africa.

That is very interesting.  Thanks for digging that up.

On the historical maps, the Willamette Valley and central California
are the only areas in the West shaded, although in 1882 most of the
country east of the Rockies is marked, and in 1912 still the whole
South. (Perhaps also a bit of Puget Sound if you squint.)  

On the 1957-present survey map, a case is noted as reported in the
Portland area in 1961!  So that explains my childhood memory of
mosquito control spraying near where I lived.  I don't recall malaria
being mentioned, but people "talked around" alarming subjects back
then.

So there was indeed malaria here, the chilly weather notwithstanding.

(My great uncle was an agricultural scientist and acquired malaria in
South America.  He later gave blood.  On a subsequent donation
attempt, they asked him first if he had ever had malaria.  Holy cow,
he thought, some poor guy might have it now from me.)