Three counties in Florida—Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas—are under a state of emergency due to dengue, one of the state’s largest surges—785 cases as of Oct. 22— in decades. Dengue is a virus primarily spread through mosquito bites of infected Aedes species mosquitoes, which can be found in our region. A serious case of dengue in a Sarasota hospice nurse last month has not been recorded as locally transmitted, according to a report from Suncoast Searchlight, although the patient, who was hospitalized for five days, is questioning that conclusion and thinks she contracted the disease in Sarasota County. Most people who contract dengue don’t get sick, although some cases can be fatal. Telltale symptoms include fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting and a rash.
Meanwhile, a mosquito-borne illness advisory has also been issued by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) Sarasota office after a confirmed case of West Nile virus. This virus is usually transmitted among birds, animals and humans by infected mosquitos. The symptoms are similar to dengue, and while most people show no symptoms or only mild discomfort, some cases can result in hospitalization and death. In this case, DOH officials concluded that the disease had been acquired locally and not during travel.
“West Nile is a disease that is always present in Florida,” says Michael Drennon, director of Disease Control and Health Protection for the DOH-Sarasota. “Most people who get exposed don’t show any symptoms, but the disease is here in the mosquito and bird populations all the time.”…