In neighboring Florida, four people have contracted malaria in the last two months, leaving some asking if Georgians should be worried.  The Atlanta-based CDC reports this is the first time in 20 years the mosquito-borne illness has been confirmed in patients who haven’t traveled outside of the U.S. And while state health officials say the risk of malaria spreading across Georgia is unlikely, residents should take precautions against being bitten by mosquitos. Elmer Gray, an entomologist at UGA, tells the AJC that the best defense against the blood-sucking insects is to use products with a 10 to 30 percent concentration of DEET. The last locally contracted case of malaria in Georgia was back in 1999.

GNN