Mosquito-Borne Illness Advisory Issued In Manatee: FL Health Officials

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Several sentinel chickens in Manatee County have tested positive for West Nile virus, prompting the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County to issue a mosquito-borne illness advisory, according to a news release from health officials.

Since the start of the year, there have been four symptomatic human cases of West Nile Virus illness acquired in Florida, with one case reported in each of the following counties: Alachua (May and August), Duval (August), and Walton (July), according to the Florida Department of Health's most recent Florida Arbovirus Surveillance report for Sept. 20-26.

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Two asymptomatic blood donors have been reported in Duval (August) and Leon (July) counties, this year, the report said.

Positive samples from 235 sentinel chickens, one horse and eight mosquito pools also have been reported from 24 counties, health officials said.

Florida is also seeing its largest dengue fever outbreak on record, with more than 500 cases reported, about evenly split between locally acquired and mosquito-borne cases, as of the Sept. 20-26 report.

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DOH-Manatee and the Manatee County Mosquito Control District are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts, including source reduction to help control mosquito populations.

Health officials are reminding residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, including:

• Using insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient.
• Wearing long sleeves and pants when mosquitoes are active.
• Keeping doors and windows closed or using screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes.
• Removing standing water around homes and businesses where mosquitoes can breed.

Residents are also encouraged to report dead birds to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as dead birds can help health officials monitor the spread of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, the news release said.

Florida conducts statewide surveillance for mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, chikungunya and dengue.

Residents with questions or concerns can contact DOH-Manatee at 941-713-8822 or their local county health department.