(New York) The United States has seen five cases of mosquito-borne malaria in the past two months. This is the first time there has been local spread in 20 years in the country.
Four cases have been detected in Florida and one in Texas, according to a health alert released Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Malaria, this disease better known as malaria, is caused by a parasite that is spread through mosquito bites. Those infected may experience fever, chills, and flu-like illnesses.
If the disease is not treated, infected people can develop serious complications and die. The highest number of deaths in recent years has been observed among children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Health officials are warning doctors, especially those in southern states where the weather is more favorable for the tropical mosquito that spreads malaria, to be aware of the possibility of infection. They should also consider getting the intravenous drug that is the first-line treatment for severe cases of malaria in the United States, the CDC said.
The agency said those diagnosed had received treatment and were improving.
Approximately 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed each year in the United States, the vast majority among travelers from countries where malaria is commonly spread.
Since 1992, there have been 11 mosquito-caused malaria epidemics in the United States. The last occurred in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida, where eight cases were reported.
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