Mosquito-Borne Illness

Hillsborough added 36 cases, per the latest state report on mosquito-borne illnesses, while Pasco and Pinellas officials went into a proactive mode while their counts remain low.

One thing all Florida voters will get to decide on Nov. 3: Whether to reduce property taxes. On this episode, we examine the possible effect on fire rescue services and community growth planning.

The 80-year-old was apparently the first person in the region killed by the mosquito-spread virus in nearly a century. At the same time, there are signs the Hillsborough County outbreak could be waning.

A proposed rule would allow people to receive the shot at pharmacies. The Board of Pharmacy is accepting public comments through Oct. 8.

There were 39 additional cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the county in the health department's latest update covering Sept. 6-12. Hillsborough's 134 cases reported since July account for nearly 90% of the 152 statewide.

The Florida Department of Health and Jacksonville Mosquito Control are coordinating West Nile surveillance and prevention.

Citing privacy issues, an official said the health department "is unable to provide additional details." However, the investigation occurs after Hillsborough was described as an "epicenter" of an outbreak.

Learning what attracts the pests could be useful to designing repellents that deter them from biting people and reducing local populations. A recent FIU study shows humans aren't the only fussy eaters.

Noting that "dengue does not stop at county lines," Pinellas' mosquito control said it was expanding its response by focusing ground inspections and dawn fogging in the Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg areas.

Five mosquito pools tested positive for the disease in Hillsborough, which added seven cases over the past week. And there was third case in Pinellas after going 15 years without one.

Eight people in Hillsborough and two in Pinellas recently contracted the mosquito-borne illness locally, officials say. Both counties are under alerts. The disease is not endemic to the Tampa Bay region.

The Florida Department of Health offices in both counties said they are working with mosquito control agencies to monitor and respond to the cases.