CDC reports malaria cases in Florida, Texas are the first US spread in 20 years

In the last two months, the United States has seen four cases of malaria in Florida and one in Texas for the first time in 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Malaria is caused by a parasite that spreads through mosquito bites.

Health officials are encouraging doctors, particularly those in southern states where the weather is more conducive to the tropical mosquito that transmits malaria, to be on the lookout for infection.

CDC also said that doctors should consider access to the  IV drug as it is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States.

Reports are that about 2,000 US cases of malaria are diagnosed each year – the vast majority of travelers coming from countries where malaria commonly spreads.

Since 1992, there've been 11 outbreaks involving malaria from mosquitoes in the US. The last one occurred in 2003 in Palm Beach County, Florida, where eight cases were reported.

Those infected with malaria can suffer fever, chills, and flu-like illnesses. If it goes untreated, infected people can develop severe complications and die. The largest death toll in recent years has been seen in children in sub-Saharan Africa.