Five cases of malaria have been confirmed in Florida and Texas, the first time the potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease has been locally acquired in the United States in 20 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
The four Florida cases, along with one in Texas, have been diagnosed over a period of two months, the agency said.
The state of Florida said that its first case was diagnosed on May 26 in Sarasota County, while officials in Texas said on June 23 that a Texas resident who worked outdoors in Cameron County had been diagnosed with the disease.
The CDC said in an alert released Monday that malaria is considered a medical emergency, and that anyone with symptoms should be “urgently evaluated.”
