PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas County officials on Wednesday extended the county’s state of local emergency related to the mosquito-borne spread of dengue fever until Oct. 8.
The Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring the emergency on Sept. 24.
According to the Florida Department of Health’s latest report, Pinellas County has had seven confirmed dengue cases since August. The Tampa Bay region has had 179 confirmed cases across Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
Pinellas County has also detected increased West Nile virus activity in its sentinel chicken flocks, which the county described as an early warning of potential human transmission.
Pinellas County Mosquito Control is continuing an elevated response to reduce mosquito populations across the county. Completed and planned truck and aerial treatments are available on the county’s online treatment map.
In treatment areas, crews are going door-to-door to help residents and, with permission, treat standing water that can become mosquito breeding areas. The county said crews will wear Pinellas County uniforms and ID badges.
County officials said that residents can help by dumping standing water around their property once a week, wearing light-colored long sleeves and closed-toed shoes outside, and using an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
For the latest information, visit pinellas.gov/mosquito. For details about dengue fever and how the virus spreads, visit pinellas.gov/dengue.
Anyone who believes they have a mosquito-borne illness should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County at (727)-824-6932.