The current status of malaria in Louisiana.

Between 1992 and 2004, 118 cases of malaria were reported to the Louisiana Office of Public Health. Case surveillance data were collected in response to these case reports. These data are presented and analyzed here. All cases reported in Louisiana were imported from malaria-endemic regions. Despite the fact that malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, deaths due to malaria continue to occur. Counseling for travelers to malaria-endemic areas needs to be improved. In particular, region-specific prophylaxis guidelines published by the CDC are infrequently implemented. A travel history should be elicited from all patients who present with fever in the United States. If a history of travel to malaria-endemic areas is present, blood films should be obtained and examined for malaria parasites.