Dengue fever-related death reported in Hillsborough as aerial mosquito treatments continue

TAMPA, Fla. - More than 130 cases of dengue have been reported in Hillsborough County, making up 88% of the state’s total infections, according to most recent data from Florida health officials. 

Of those, the Florida Department of Health also confirmed the first dengue fever-related death in the county.

The numbers show 39 cases of dengue were reported in Hillsborough County from Sept. 6-12 alone. Meanwhile, seven total cases have been reported in Pinellas County and Pasco County has two cases. 

The treatment plan

Local perspective:

Crews with Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services will continue to use helicopters and trucks to spray treatment, aimed at killing both adult mosquitos and mosquito larvae. County officials told FOX 13 they believe these efforts appear to be working because mosquito trap numbers are dropping in certain locations.  

Additionally, samples of adult mosquitos from local traps have come back negative for dengue over the last two weeks. Furthermore, laboratory testing confirms that potentially infected female mosquitoes are not passing the virus down to their offspring, Hillsborough County Mosquito Management officials said. 

"It makes me feel good. Again, it's a suppression and eradication campaign," Paolo Pecora, Hillsborough County Mosquito Management senior environmental scientist, told FOX 13. "We want to go into there and make sure that we are eliminating any flying disease vector that can potentially transmit this virus to our residents."

Why you should care:

But, they aren’t letting their guard down. County officials don’t want mosquitos that have already bitten somebody with dengue to go and bite somebody else, resulting in more human cases.

So, they’re asking for the public’s help.

"This mosquito species is strictly containers. Not ditches, not sewer drainage areas, not lakes and ponds. It's containers," said Pecora. "They are utilizing and have evolved with mankind through civilizations to utilize man-made objects. That’s why this is such a challenge and why we’re asking our residents to come out and help us."

What you can do:

Residents are urged to dump any standing water on their property and to wear bug spray when spending time outdoors. 

Local doctors treating dengue

What they're saying:

Doctors with Tampa General Hospital estimate they’ve treated more than 100 dengue patients, telling FOX 13 one of the common symptoms is a "break-bone fever." 

"The body aches are so intense that it's got this nickname as 'break-bone fever,'" said Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi, the chief hospital epidemiology officer at Tampa General Hospital. "It's real, and I've seen patients — they hurt so bad, it's the predominant thing that’s bringing them into the emergency room."

Along with severe joint, bone, and muscle pain, common symptoms include nausea and pain behind the eyes.

"It's the time the fever breaks. The next two days is when you can have more severe warning signs. If you have severe abdominal pain, persistently throwing up, bleeding from the gums or other sites, difficulty breathing — and critically, that’s when the fever starts to go down is when these could develop," Cherabuddi added. "That's when you absolutely have to go to the ER."

He said one in four who are infected will develop the illness — and roughly one in 20 symptomatic people developed more severe disease. 

Hillsborough CountyHealth