There have been 190 locally acquired cases of dengue fever in Florida, as of the latest report from the Florida Department of Health.
Also reported in the state this year are a few cases of West Nile virus and chikungunya.
➤ How worried should Florida residents, visitors be about dengue?
What they all have in common is they are all transmitted by mosquitoes, and people who have gotten sick were bitten by mosquitoes here in Florida.
With mosquitoes so common in Florida, is there anything you can you do help prevent being bitten by a mosquito around your home?
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The answer is yes, and here are suggestions from experts you can follow to make a 10-minute inspection around your home to mosquito-proof your property today.
➤ Meet the mosquito, the world's deadliest animal
Dengue fever spreading in Florida. See counties reporting mosquito-borne illnesses
According to the Florida Department of Health, as of Sept. 19, there have been 190 cases of locally acquired cases of denguereported in six counties, which is up from 152 reported Sept. 12 .
There also have been five cases of West Nile virus and one case of chikungunya.
- Dengue: 190 cases
- 170 in Hillsborough County
- 7 in Miami-Dade County
- 7 in Pinellas County
- 2 in Pasco County
- 3 in Orange County
- 1 in Palm Beach County
- West Nile: 5
- 1 in Alachua County
- 2 in Duval County (1 an asymptomatic blood donor)
- 1 in Leon (asymptomatic blood donor)
- 1 in Walton County
- Chikungunya: 1
- 1 in Miami-Dade County
What's causing the Florida outbreak of dengue fever?
"The surge in dengue cases — along with a few West Nile and the first chikungunya — in Florida is chiefly driven by a combination of climatic and human factors that create ideal conditions" for the types of mosquitoes that spread dengue, West Nile and the chikungunya viruses, said Eva Buckner, associate professor and extension specialist with the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory via email Sept. 23.
The factors that creating ideal conditions for the mosquitoes responsible for transmitting the viruses include:
- Warmer temperatures: Summer high temperatures speed up mosquito life cycles and virus replication, allowing more mosquito generations in a single season and able to transmit viruses faster.
- Increased rainfall and standing water: Heavy rains and storm‑water runoff create abundant mosquito production sites in both natural and artificial containers.
- Outbreaks worldwide and human travel: Locations worldwide where Aedes aegypti-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya are endemic (experience transmission every year usually year-round) are experiencing outbreaks, Buckner said.
10-minute inspection around your home to prevent mosquito bites, spread of disease
"Everyone statewide, regardless of if they are in the area of a dengue outbreak or not, should practice mosquito bite prevention," Buckner said.
"It’s also important to eliminate standing water around your home once a week. Aedes aegypti and Culex mosquitoes can develop in very small amounts of water."
Walk around your home and follow these steps suggested by the Florida Department of Health and CDC:
- Drain any standing irrigation or rain water that has collected in garbage cans, house gutters, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots or other containers, old tires, pool covers.
- Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water.
- Maintain swimming pools in good condition and ensure they are appropriately chlorinated.
- Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.
- Discard old items that aren’t being used and are storing water.
- Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls once or twice weekly.
- Check around faucets and air conditioner units, and repair leaks or puddles that remain for several days.
- Remove, drain or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar; Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days. Cut down weeds adjacent to home and in yards, and mow the lawn regularly.
- If bromeliads are part of your landscaping, flush the water out of them at least once a week.
- You also can coat the water in the bromeliads with a small amount of food-grade oil.
- Or treat the water in your bromeliads with a safe larvicide containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. You can also use the larvicide in birdbaths, rain barrels, decorative fountains, and ponds.
- Use larvicidesto treat large bodies of water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or dumped out.
- Use an outdoor adulticideto kill adult mosquitoes in areas where they rest.
Mosquito-borne illness alerts, advisories issued for these Florida counties
A mosquito-borne illness advisory has been issued for the following counties:
- Alachua
- Brevard
- Leon
- Palm Beach
- Pasco
- Walton
A mosquito-borne illness alert has been issued for the following counties:
- Duval
- Hillsborough
- Miami-Dade
- Orange
- Pinellas
"A mosquito-borne illness advisory means the public should take precautions to reduce mosquito bites due to factors indicating local disease such as positive sentinels, very few presumptive or positive human cases, or other justifications," according to Sarasota County.
"A mosquito-borne illness alert means that there has been heightened disease activity, a significant increase in vector (disease capable) mosquito populations, or an increase in locally-transmitted human cases.
"Residents should continue to take precautions, but exercise additional caution in preventing mosquito bites."
What are symptoms of dengue fever?
"Dengue fever can be a painful, debilitating disease but is rarely fatal," the Florida Department of Health said. Symptomsappear three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and include:
- sudden onset of fever
- severe headache
- eye pain
- muscle and joint pain (giving the disease the nickname “breakbone fever”)
- bleeding
- Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea may also be present in some cases.
"Dengue fever symptoms usually last four to seven days. The disease is often diagnosed incorrectly because the symptoms are similar to influenza and other viruses," the CDC said.
"Around one out of every 20 people infected by a dengue virus develops severe dengue, a life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention," according to YaleMedicine.
Can dengue fever be treated?
"While there is no cure for dengue and there are no specific medications for the condition, getting adequate hydration and plenty of rest, and taking acetaminophen for pain and fever can help alleviate symptoms while the body’s immune system fights the virus," according to YaleMedicine.
"In most cases, people recover from dengue within a week. For those with severe dengue, treatment by health care professionals can significantly lower the risk of death."
What are the best mosquito repellents to use?
According to the Florida Department of Health, repellentswith the following active ingredients provide the best protection:
- DEET
- Picaridin
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus
- Para-menthane-diol
- 2-undecanone, a plant-derived ingredient
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://heraldtribune.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Prevent dengue at home in Florida with this 10-minute mosquito inspection
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