Florida’s Department of Health has confirmed a second human case of locally acquired West Nile Virus in Duval County.
The diagnosis comes just over two weeks after the department confirmed the first case.
No including this case, the state has recorded seven West Nile diagnoses statewide this year.
The department and Jacksonville Mosquito Control are again coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts by ground spraying.
Health officials advise that residents can help prevent mosquito bites by applying bug spray, avoiding areas of high infestation, and wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Severe illness can affect the central nervous symptom and result in hospitalization or death.
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The health department did not indicate where the two cases of West Nile Virus might have been contracted in Duval County. But it continues to conduct statewide surveillance for mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile, dengue fever, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis and malaria.
The CDC says West Nile has been detected in a variety of bird species. Some infected birds, especially crows and jays, can get sick and die from the infection. So the reporting and testing of dead birds is one way to check for the presence of West Nile virus.
Local residents are encouraged to report dead birds to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s avian health page.
The report comes as Hillsborough County is dealing with a spread of dengue virus. Nearly 100 cases were reported to the health department as of Sept. 5. The health department is conducting an death investigation of an 80-year-old Tampa woman who may have contracted dengue.
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