TAMPA, Fla. — Health officials across the Tampa Bay area are stepping up mosquito control efforts as the number of locally acquired dengue fever cases continues to rise.
Hillsborough County says it recorded its first-ever positive dengue fever test from an insect monitoring trap in July. Since then, 30 people have been confirmed to have contracted dengue fever from local mosquito bites, while another 21 preliminary tests are showing positive results.
The county is targeting areas where health officials believe dengue-carrying mosquitoes are most active, using helicopters, trucks and crews equipped with backpack sprayers…