TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County is urging families to add mosquito bite prevention to their Halloween safety plans as locally acquired dengue cases continue to climb across Florida.
According to state surveillance efforts, 485 locally acquired dengue cases have been reported in Florida this year, including 385 in Hillsborough County.
Chelsea Kendrick, epidemiology program manager for FLDOH-Hillsborough, said the mosquitoes that can spread dengue may be active when families are trick-or-treating.
“These mosquitoes bite at any time during the day, but they especially really like the early morning and those afternoons, those evenings when we are typically out and about walking our pets, but when we will be likely trick-or-treating,” Kendrick said.
The health department recommends three steps to help prevent bites: use EPA-registered insect repellents on exposed skin and clothing, drain standing water around homes, and cover up with long sleeves and pants.
At a trunk-or-treat event at Miller Park in Tampa, resident Lisa Connell said mosquito prevention has already been a concern for her family.
“The mosquitoes are horrible. You know, we already fight mosquitoes in our neighborhood,” Connell said. “We try to eliminate, you know, retention water or buckets with water, but now you’ve got a virus going around. I don’t even come outside at nighttime.”
Connell said she plans to make sure her family has bug spray when they go out for Halloween.
“You’ve gotta be preventative at all times, you know,” Connell said. “And before the sun goes down, we’re going to be inside.”
Local mosquito control districts have also increased efforts to reduce the spread of dengue. Some are spraying more frequently, and some have called in help from other counties in Florida.
Source: baynews9.com
