In a follow-up on the local transmission of dengue fever in Florida, state health officials reported an additional 32 locally acquired dengue fever cases during the week ending August 29, bringing the total autochthonous cases in the state to 73.
The new cases were reported from Hillsborough County (29), Pinellas (2) and Pasco counties (1).
The five counties reported by the Department of Health include Hillsborough (59), Miami-Dade (7), Palm Beach, Pasco, and Pinellas (5).
Recent cases reported in Citrus County and Orange County were not included in this report.
Almost all the cases were serotyped as DENV-2 by PCR (69).
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services conducted aerial applications of Dibrom insecticide to control adult mosquitoes in the Hyde Park/South Tampa and the Ybor City areas of the county.
In addition, Pasco County Mosquito Control District (PCMCD) will be providing specialized aerial mosquito-control assistance in coordination with Hillsborough County Mosquito Management and public-health partners Thursday morning, Sept. 3.
Weather permitting, aerial operations are planned to begin at 8 a.m. to specifically target mosquito larvae within the Wellswood, Riverside Heights, and East Tampa neighborhoods of the City of Tampa. The aerial application will be liquid Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), which is a naturally occurring bacterium. The product does not harm people, pets, fish, birds or beneficial insects, and it breaks down naturally in the environment.
Alpha-gal syndrome, or Red Meat Allergy
Pinellas County Mosquito Control announced they are expanding its response to reduce mosquito populations and urging residents countywide to take precautions.
Pinellas County crews are focusing ground inspections and dawn fogging in the Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg areas. While these areas are our focus, we’re urging residents countywide to protect themselves and prevent mosquito breeding around their homes. Pinellas County Mosquito Control continues to work closely with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas for surveillance, education and treatment in the impacted areas.
“Dengue does not stop at county lines,” said Alissa Berro, director of Pinellas County Mosquito Control. “The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day. When someone infected with dengue enters a new area, a local mosquito can bite that person and later spread the virus to others. As cases rise across the region, so does the potential for additional local transmission in Pinellas County.”