Despite months under a state of local emergency declared by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, dengue fever cases continue to rise.
But county residents continue fighting back as well.
According to the Florida Department of Health’s most recent report dated Oct. 4- 10, Pinellas County has had 37 confirmed cases of locally-acquired dengue since August.
The Tampa Bay region has 352 confirmed cases across Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, and Hillsborough counties. Hillsborough continues to lead the state with 310 cases.
Pinellas County is now partnering with Lee County to try to bring the problem under control.
County officials are implementing aerial mosquito treatments in parts of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Initially, similar treatments were taking place in Palm Harbor.
They’re using low-flying helicopters that spray Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI), a soil bacterium used to kill mosquito larvae.
ALSO READ: Pinellas, Hillsborough extend mosquito emergencies as dengue cases increase
BTI is the same active ingredient found in mosquito dunks and bits sold at local hardware stores to treat standing water for mosquitoes.
Officials said traditional truck-based larvae treatments cannot efficiently cover all affected areas; therefore, they’re using helicopters to better reach standing water.
Pinellas County Mosquito Control spokesman Brian Pellerin says BTI is not harmful to humans or pets.
“They're specifically for black flies and mosquitoes, mosquito larvae, and that has to do with the pH balance in their guts,” said Pellerin. “They have very basic stomachs, and ours are very different. So it specifically targets those two groups and not others.”
According to officials, BTI is safe, EPA-tested, and does not impact humans, pets, or other pollinators.
ALSO READ: Pinellas County waives tire disposal fees to help control mosquitos carrying dengue fever
“It's not a sort of gas or something that would linger in the air. It's going to drop to the ground and just kind of land in that standing water,” said Pellerin. “If it does land on you, it's water-based. Just basic hygiene, soap and water, rinse it off. It's not anything that's going to be harmful or need to be overly concerned about,”
Pinellas County staff will also continue offering door-to-door “trained eye services” to help find potential trouble spots.
“When our guys are going door-to-door, it's helping you find places that maybe you're not thinking of, maybe you don't recognize or don't see, maybe a French drain, a bromeliad, something that maybe doesn't come straight to mind or isn't as obvious for holding water,” said Pellerin.
“Think of things like dog bowls, tires, kids' toys, buckets, trash cans. Those little containers breed them, so they're not really in a lake, a pond, or a creek as much. They are very much within private property in those little containers that you're used to seeing, just kind of lying around the house.”
County officials are also urging residents to continue taking precautions like dressing in light-colored, long-sleeved clothing with closed-toed shoes when outside both day and night, and defending themselves using anEPA-registered repellent such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.
The aerial treatment schedule is still being finalized. Residents can register to be notified when treatment is scheduled for their neighborhood on the Pinellas County website.
