As the mosquito season hits its stride in the balmy Floridian summer, residents are facing more than just the nuisance of bites. The Hillsborough County Mosquito Management and the Florida Department of Health have teamed up in a proactive approach to tackle the rise in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, Zika, and chikungunya viruses — all linked to the pesky yellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes. These critters love nothing more than to lay their eggs in the standing water that's all-too-common post-rainstorm.
In a recent move to educate communities about preventing the spread of these diseases, the County conducted door-to-door outreach, focusing particularly on dengue "hot spots". According to a news release by Hillsborough County, these efforts are crucial as dengue fever, a disease most commonly associated with travel to endemic regions, saw 911 travel-related cases in Florida last year; 75 of those were in Hillsborough County itself. Additionally, there were five locally acquired cases noted. These diseases can make a full-circle trip, from an infected traveler to a local mosquito, and then on to another human host.
Special attention was given to Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, as residents often travel to South America and the Caribbean where dengue is rampant. Outreach teams equipped with at least one Spanish speaker knocked on doors to ensure information crossed the language barrier. They didn't just stop at conversation; they also handed out bilingual brochures, door hangers, and freebies like bug repellent on these visits. In total, the initiative resulted in 180 homes receiving visits, 46 front yard inspections, and a number of on-site mosquito treatments administered right then and there.
