Mosquito Control

The 63-year-old pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. The aircraft, spraying pesticide amid a county mosquito-borne illness advisory, went down in a wooded area near homes in Myakka City.

Pinellas reported 17 more cases as the outbreak shows signs of crossing the bay. Hillsborough added 51 cases in the state's latest weekly update of mosquito-borne illnesses.

Orange County is reporting two more Florida cases of the mosquito-borne illness known as dengue. The cases are a small indication of the state's record-breaking case total.

Health officials have cautioned the mosquito-borne illness doesn't respect county boundaries. In a region connected by daily commuting, infected people can spread it beyond the original hotspots.

Mosquito control experts say this year's unusual weather conditions — extreme drought along the Gulf Coast followed by heavy rain in August — played a part in an explosion of mosquitoes and the current outbreak of locally acquired dengue.

Broward is the eighth Florida county to confirm a locally acquired case during the current outbreak, which has mostly been limited to the Tampa Bay area – primarily Hillsborough County.

Information from state health departments and medical journals suggests the Florida outbreak marks the most cases in a calendar year for any state since at least the 1940s.

Hillsborough County has reported 223 cases this year, according to the state's most recent weekly data update. A nearby county has sent helicopters and crews to help increase aerial pesticide spraying.

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.

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.

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.