PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners declared a State of Local Emergency on Thursday in response to the spread of mosquito-borne dengue fever across the area.
The emergency declaration allows County Administrator Barry A. Burton to rapidly approve spending for mosquito control operations. It also positions the county to receive potential reimbursement if state funding is made available by the governor.
The move follows a Sept. 24 report from the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) confirming seven cases of dengue fever in Pinellas County. Across the wider Tampa Bay area—which includes Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough counties—health officials have recorded 179 confirmed cases. In addition to dengue fever, Pinellas County officials reported an increase in West Nile virus activity detected in local sentinel chicken coops, an indicator used as an early warning sign for potential transmission to humans…