2 Cases Of Mosquito-Borne Dengue Confirmed In Hillsborough: Health Officials

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Health officials have confirmed a second case of locally acquired dengue fever in Hillsborough County.

The first dengue case in the county this year was recorded in the Florida Department of Health’s Florida Arbovirus Surveillance report for July 19-25, data shows.

The second case was confirmed and included in the July 26 to Aug. 1 report.

As of Aug. 1, there have been a total of four cases of locally acquired dengue fever in Florida. The other two cases, which were recorded in the July 26 to Aug. 1 report, are in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

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Dengue can present as a flu-like illness with the following symptoms:

• severe muscle aches
• joint pain
• fever
• rash

There are no respiratory symptoms associated with dengue.

Symptoms usually appear within 15 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito, health officials said.

Dengue fever is not contagious but is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito.

• Health officials offer the following tips for preventing mosquito bites:
• Wear protective clothing, such as loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
• Apply insect repellents to exposed skin and clothing.
• Control mosquitoes inside and outside by repairing damaged screening on windows and doors, and draining standing water from garbage cans, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flowerpots, or any other containers.

The health department in Hillsborough County and Hillsborough County Mosquito Management are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts by conducting treatment across the county, FDH said in a news release.

There are more than 40 species of mosquitoes in the county, the Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Program said.

The agency operates 30 mosquito traps throughout the county to track the mosquito population. It also conducts more than 30,000 larval production site inspections each year.

When spraying, the agency uses both larvicides, including Altosid, CocoBear Oil, FourStar Bti CRG, Natular, Vectobac, and VectoMax FG, that kill mosquitoes before they hatch, and adulticides, including Dibrom and Permanone 30-30, for those already hatched.