The United States has recorded five cases of mosquito-borne malaria in the past two months, the first time local spread has occurred in 20 years.
Four cases were detected in Florida and one in Texas, according to a health alert issued Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Malaria, or malaria, is caused by a parasite that is spread through mosquito bites. Infected people can suffer fever, chills and a flu-like picture. If left untreated, infected people can develop serious complications and die. The highest number of deaths from this disease in recent years has been in children in sub-Saharan Africa.
US authorities have warned doctors, especially those in southern states where the climate is more conducive to the tropical mosquito that spreads malaria, to be aware of the possibility of infection. They also need to think about how to access the intravenous drug that is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States, the CDC said.
The agency said the newly diagnosed people received treatment and "are doing better."
About 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year, the vast majority in travelers from countries where the disease is common.
Since 1992, there have been 11 mosquito-borne malaria outbreaks in the United States. The last one took place in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida, where eight cases were recorded.
