From the Orange County Newsroom
Orange County Mosquito Control announced on Thursday that its crews are focusing on eliminating the breed of mosquito known to carry the arbovirus, Dengue. The State of Florida Department of Health (FDOH) confirmed on August 22, 2024, two people within Orange County contracted the virus locally. This means these people did not travel outside of Orange County, or the United States, and still contracted the virus after being bitten by a mosquito.
“We have both daytime and nighttime crews responding to the situation,” said Steve Harrison, Manager for Orange County Mosquito Control. “They are providing control measures, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to prevent further local transmission of the Dengue virus.”
Harrison says Dengue is carried by a breed of mosquito known as Aedes aegypti. This specific breed of mosquito has a short-flight radius of about 200 yards. This is the first time the State of Florida Department of Health has confirmed a local transmission of Dengue in Orange County in years. To date, 24 cases have been confirmed by the FDOH, but they were cases where the patient traveled outside of Orange County, or the United States, to places where the virus is endemic. Mosquito Control crews responded to these cases, as well.
“This virus is only spread by mosquitoes,” Harrison said. “The only way for humans to contract Dengue is if they are bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. The mosquito can only get the virus by biting someone who has it. Fortunately, the mosquito that primarily carries this virus does not fly very far; it stays close to where it originally contracted it. At the direction of the State of Florida Department of Health, we are targeting our control efforts in the areas of concern to prevent further transmission.”
Orange County Mosquito Control regularly sprays for mosquitoes around the county. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves all safe chemicals for humans and animals. Residents of Orange County dealing with a mosquito issue at home or within their community can seek help from Mosquito Control by calling Orange County’s 311 hotline to report the problem.
