STERLING, Va. --

Malaria Information Transmission, Symptoms and Treatment Advice from the CDC NIH Research on Malaria Fairfax County's Information on Malaria Loudoun County's Information on Malaria

Health department workers are going door-to-door in the Sugarland Run-Cascades area of Loudoun County, Va., to notify residents about an unusual situation.

A 15-year-old male and a 19-year-old female, who live about a mile apart, were infected with malaria, but health officials said what's odd about these cases is that neither of the teens have been out of the country, where malaria is usually contracted. Health officials said that means they got the disease after a mosquito in that community bit them.

Health officials said they learned about the first case late last week, and the second case was discovered late Tuesday evening. They investigated both and found out about the similarities. Both teens have been treated with antibiotics. They are well, they've recovered and they are back in school, said health officials.

The director of the Loudoun County Health Department, Dr. David Goodfriend, told News4's Julie Carey, "There are thousands of cases of malaria that are diagnosed in this country every year, but very few of them are to people who haven't been to a place where malaria is very common and worldwide malaria is a very common infection."

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Goodfriend said they are getting the word out about malaria because the symptoms are not serious. "There may be other people out there just like these people that haven't seen their doctor or who are not doing things to protect themselves," said Goodfriend.

Health officials believe that a mosquito bit someone with malaria, infecting the mosquito, and then the mosquito bit another person, infecting him or her.

Goodfriend said, "This is a disease that gets people sick but doesn't necessarily send them to the hospital. That person may not even know they have malaria." He stressed that malaria is not a disease that can be passed from person to person; it's the mosquito that passes the disease.

"If people take steps to prevent themselves from getting bitten by a mosquito, then they will be safe from malaria and the West Nile virus or other things that mosquitoes pass," Goodfriend said.

Health officials said symptoms that people should be aware of are fever, chills, and sweating episodes that comes and goes.

Goodfriend said mosquitoes don't travel very far so people should make sure their screens are secure and that they don't have any standing water in bird baths, gutters or other areas around their houses. And, when they do go out they should wear an insect repellent because it's the best way to keep from getting sick from malaria or West Nile virus.