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Dengue fever warning amid wet weather
Wet weather is supposed to continue this weekend across the Bay Area and that has officials concerned about dengue fever as the number of cases rise. FOX 13’s Matthew McClellan reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa is sending workers door-to-door Friday in five neighborhoods where dengue cases have been reported, as new state figures show another 36 cases in Hillsborough County and health officials acknowledge they have not yet seen clear evidence that the outbreak is slowing.
The outreach comes ahead of more expected rain, which could create additional breeding sites for the mosquitoes spreading the virus.
Door-to-door health outreach
What we know:
City of Tampa employees and Florida Department of Health workers will visit residents Friday in Southeast Seminole Heights, North Hyde Park, West Tampa, Forest Hills and Sulphur Springs.
The neighborhoods were selected because dengue cases have been reported there.
Beginning at 8 a.m., workers will provide information about dengue symptoms, preventing mosquito bites, and eliminating standing water.
The canvassing is scheduled to continue until 1 p.m.
Five Tampa neighborhoods targeted
What we don't know:
Officials have not confirmed whether the five selected neighborhoods represent the highest concentration of dengue infections in the city.
Statewide dengue surveillance data
By the numbers:
Florida's newly released Week 39 Arbovirus Surveillance Report shows 296 locally acquired dengue cases statewide, up from 252.
Hillsborough County accounts for 259 cases, approximately 88% of Florida's total.
Other Tampa Bay counties also remain affected:
- Pinellas: 20 cases, up from 13.
- Pasco: Three cases, unchanged.
- Polk: One case, unchanged.
The report covers surveillance activity through Oct. 3.
Importantly, the additional 36 Hillsborough cases were not necessarily contracted last week.
Four were assigned to August based on when symptoms began, while 32 were added to September's total. Laboratory confirmation and reporting delays mean weekly increases do not directly measure new infections during that week.
The latest state report lists no mosquito pools reported during Week 39, leaving Hillsborough's cumulative total at 19 dengue-positive pools.
That does not mean every mosquito sample tested negative or that transmission has stopped.
Eric Long, operations superintendent for Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services, previously told FOX 13 that some recent mosquito samples had returned negative.
However, Hillsborough's health officer, Dr. Carla Fry, said during a briefing Tuesday that officials had not seen the decline in the epidemic curve needed to establish that transmission was slowing.
"We do still have ongoing transmission," Fry said, describing case activity as relatively steady.
Health officials are expected to address the latest surveillance findings during Friday's neighborhood outreach.
Why Tampa is focusing on backyards
Why you should care:
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, responsible for much of dengue transmission, commonly breeds in small containers around homes.
Discarded tires have become a particular concern.
Tampa says crews have removed 23 tons of illegally discarded tires over three months, while monitoring 85 locations and issuing two citations.
City Neighborhood Enhancement Director Susan Wenrick said employees are inspecting properties street by street, looking for containers that could collect rainwater.
During Wednesday's county commission meeting, Fry emphasized that spraying alone cannot eliminate the problem.
"You can't spray your way out of this," she said, urging residents to empty containers and eliminate standing water.
Emergency funding and response
What's next:
Hillsborough County has extended its local state of emergency through Oct. 15, allowing mosquito-control operations and emergency coordination to continue.
During Wednesday's County Commission meeting, officials said Hillsborough County had spent $4.1 million on mosquito management operations, with a new purchase order expected to push projected costs above $6 million.
Commissioners also considered retroactive approval of $848,349 for three emergency mosquito-control purchases. Officials said the response is being funded through the county's disaster emergency reserves, with the possibility of state reimbursement for some expenses.
For residents, health officials recommend checking yards after rainfall, emptying containers that collect water and using EPA-registered mosquito repellent.
Friday's outreach could provide new answers about why these five neighborhoods were selected, whether mosquito surveillance is improving and how much longer intensive control efforts may be necessary.
The Source: This story is based on the Florida Department of Health's Week 39 Arbovirus Surveillance Report, the City of Tampa's Oct. 9 neighborhood canvassing announcement, Hillsborough County emergency declarations, FOX 13 interviews with mosquito-control officials and reporting from Wednesday's County Commission meeting. The latest state case figures cover activity through Oct. 3.