In response to two travel-related cases of Oropouche Virus and ongoing battles with Dengue Fever in Orange County, local mosquito control units are stepping up their game. With the Florida Department of Health in Orange County notifying the Mosquito Control division about two instances of Dengue in the Lockhart-Rosemont area, the county's response has been to deploy both day and night teams to spray neighborhoods and raise awareness on mosquito prevention, as detailed by the Orange County Newsroom.
Orange County Mosquito Control's manager Steve Harrison conveyed the gravity of the situation, especially since the Oropouche Virus, which was first found in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, is starting to make an appearance outside its usual haunt in the Amazon basin, "The emergence of Oropouche Virus, even though the cases are travel-related, is a cause for concern," he said emphasizing the need for local action in light of global health interconnectedness and the potent spread of mosquito-borne diseases that these situations point to—putting into sense the real threat that lies just a plane ride away, "It highlights the interconnectedness of global health and the potential for mosquito-borne diseases to spread in other parts of the world. We have intensified our efforts to control mosquito populations and prevent the establishment of Oropouche Virus, as we did to mitigate the spread of Dengue Fever. Our goal is to safeguard the health of Orange County residents and visitors," Harrison told the Orange County Newsroom.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't ignored the uptick in Oropouche Virus cases either, issuing a health advisory mid-August on the rise of travel-related cases in the Americas, with troubling statistics showing over 8,000 cases since the first of the year, including two fatalities.
Residents of Orange County dealing with a mosquito issue at their home or within their community can seek help from Mosquito Control by calling Orange County’s 311 hotline to report the problem.
