NEW YORK (NEWSnet/AP) — The United States has seen five cases of malaria spread by mosquitos in the last two months — the first time there's been local spread in 20 years.

There were four cases detected in Florida and one in Texas, according to a health alert issued Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

The agency said that the people who were diagnosed received treatment and “are improving.”

Health officials are warning doctors, especially those in southern states where the weather is more friendly to the tropical mosquito that spreads malaria, to be aware of the possibility of infection. They also should think about how to access the IV drug that is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States, the CDC said.

Copyright 2023 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.