TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health is expected to release its latest weekly dengue fever report Thursday as Tampa Bay-area counties continue emergency efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
Three counties in the region (Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco) are under a state of emergency related to dengue prevention. Pinellas County recently extended its emergency declaration through Oct. 8, and Hillsborough County did the same on Thursday. Hillsborough County continues to report the highest number of dengue cases in the state.
In Hillsborough County, officials say the emergency order issued last week has freed up more funding and made it easier to request outside assistance. At Hillsborough County Mosquito Services, helicopters have been flying repeated spray missions, targeting both mosquito larvae during the day and adult mosquitoes at night.
Lee County Mosquito Services helicopters are now helping with daytime larvicide spraying.
Officials say daylight missions allow pilots to fly lower and better identify problem areas, such as tire piles, trash, debris and standing water in yards.
“They can look down. They can see tire piles, trash, debris, people’s backyards,” said Paolo Pecora, senior environmental scientist for Hillsborough County. “They can put the larvicide on the target.”
County mosquito officials say the areas targeted for spraying have expanded significantly since the response began about two months ago. Gabriela Henderson with Hillsborough County Mosquito Services said one main area has continued to require treatment because mosquito breeding and positive dengue cases are still being reported.
“This has been our main kind of epicenter, and unfortunately, we continue to need to treat it because we are still getting breeding and positive cases,” Henderson said.
On Wednesday night, helicopters were spraying waterways in and around Palmetto Beach, the Channel District, Water Street and Palm River. At night, the county uses a different spray designed to target adult mosquitoes that can carry dengue.
According to the World Health Organization, dengue outbreaks can last three to six months and may fluctuate with seasonal changes. Hillsborough County officials said they hope the end of the traditional rainy season will help reduce mosquito activity.
“Humidity, temperature are the biggest drivers for mosquitoes, especially with this disease vector,” Pecora said. “So we’re going to try to continue to get ahead of it. But until the cool weather has come down … we’re gonna be at this day and night.”
County officials are also asking residents to help reduce mosquito breeding areas by checking around their homes and removing standing water.
Residents are encouraged to:
Use insect repellent when outdoors
Wear long sleeves and pants when possible
Empty containers that collect water
Check yards for pooled water, debris, tires and other breeding areas
Health officials are expected to provide updated dengue case numbers later today.