1930 — Malaria, nationwide, esp. AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, OK, SC, TN, TX –3,572
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-1-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–3,572 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1931. Washington: 1935, p. 28.[1]
–3,403 Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1931. Table II, p. 69.
Table AJ (pp. 28-29), “Death Rate From Malaria per 100,000 Estimated Population,” bolds death rates above 10. Bolded for 1930 are:
AL 12.3 ( 8.6 white and 18.9 “colored.”)
AR 36.1 (25.1 white and 67.7 “colored.”)
FL 24.1 (18.6 white and 36.8 “colored.”)
GA 15.1 (10.2 white and 23.7 “colored.”)
LA 8.3 ( 6.6 white and 11.3 “colored.”)
MS 17.2 (11.6 white and 22.8 “colored.”)
OK 5.9 ( 4.9 white and 14.2 “colored.”)
SC 21.0 ( 8.0 white and 36.6 “colored.”)
TN 5.5 ( 4.0 white and 12.3 “colored.”)
Dallas, TX 3.0 (1.4 white and 11.1 “colored.”)
Houston, TX 4.7 (2.3 white and 11.5 “colored.”)
Memphis, TN 9.4 (5.1 white and 16.5 “colored.”)
Narrative Information
Malaria: “Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. In 2016 an estimated 216 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 445,000 people died, mostly children in the African Region. About 1,700 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. The vast majority of cases in the United States are in travelers and immigrants returning from countries where malaria transmission occurs, many from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.” (CDC. Malaria. 6-26-2018 update.)
Malaria: “Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It’s typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites you, the parasite is released into your bloodstream. Once the parasites are inside your body, they travel to the liver, where they mature. After several days, the mature parasites enter the bloodstream and begin to infect red blood cells. Within 48 to 72 hours, the parasites inside the red blood cells multiply, causing the infected cells to burst open….The parasites continue to infect red blood cells, resulting in symptoms that occur in cycles that last two to three days at a time. Malaria is typically found in tropical and subtropical climates where the parasites can live….
“The symptoms of malaria typically develop within 10 days to four weeks following the infection. In some cases, symptoms may not develop for several months. Some malarial parasites can enter the body but will be dormant for long periods of time. Common symptoms of malaria include:
Shaking chills; can range from moderate to severe Abdominal pain
High fever Anemia
Profuse sweating Diarrhea Headache Muscle pain
Nausea Convulsions Vomiting Coma
Bloody stools.” (Healthline. “Malaria.”)
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Malaria. 6-26-2018 update. Accessed 10-7-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html
Healthline. “Malaria.” Accessed 6-18-2018 at: https://www.healthline.com/health/malaria#complications
United States Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. Mortality Statistics 1931 (Thirty-Second Annual Report). Washington: GPO, 1935. Accessed 10-24-2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/mortstatsh_1931.pdf
United States Census Bureau, Department of Commerce. History — Through the Decades (website). “1930 Fast Facts.” 10-18-2012 revision. Accessed 10-28-2013 at: http://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/fast_facts/1930_fast_facts.html
[1] Table AJ in Mortality Statistics 1931 notes a 1930 malaria death rate of 2.9 per 100,000 estimated population, compared to a rate of 2.1 in 1931. According to the U.S. Census the U.S. 1930 population was 123,202,624.