HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A new case of locally acquired dengue fever in Hillsborough County has been reported.
According to the Florida Department of Health Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough), this is the fourth confirmed case of locally acquired dengue fever in the county.
The first case in the county was reported on June 22, while the third case was reported at the end of August.
DOH-Hillsborough said that the county will continue to be under a mosquito-borne illness alert, with continued aerial spraying and coordinating surveillance.
Residents are advised to avoid being bitten by mosquitos and to take basic precautions to protect themselves, such as:
- draining water from outdoor areas to reduce the number of places mosquitos can lay eggs and breed
- maintain swimming pools and keep them chlorinated
- empty plastic swimming pools when not in use
- cover your body with protective clothing while outdoors
- keep doors and windows closed to keep mosquitos out
- treat clothing and gear with products containing .5% permethrin (do not apply to skin)
- check and repair screens on doors and windows
- apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, 2-undecanone, or IR3535
More information can be found here.
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