The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County confirmed a second locally acquired dengue case on Friday, one week after announcing the county’s first. Officials have not said where the two people were exposed or whether the cases are connected, and patient conditions were not released. In response, the county is increasing surveillance with truck fogging, aerial larviciding and localized inspections for mosquito breeding areas.
Dengue spreads through bites from infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, not from person to person. The mosquito is small, aggressive during the day, and loves to breed in containers of standing water, which is why the county’s message centers on yard cleanup. Plant saucers, birdbaths, buckets, clogged gutters and bromeliads are all common breeding spots in Gulf Coast neighborhoods.
Symptoms include fever, severe muscle and joint pain and sometimes a rash, typically appearing within 15 days of an infected bite. Anyone experiencing those symptoms should contact a health care provider and mention local dengue activity. When was the last time you walked your yard looking for standing water?
