Dengue fever confirmed in Seminole Heights

Investigators with the Hillsborough County Health Department have detected a locally acquired case of dengue fever in Seminole Heights.

The case appears to have occurred when two Seminole Heights residents contracted the disease while traveling in the Caribbean. A mosquito bit one of those infected people and then bit – and transmitted the disease - to another family member.

Dengue fever is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Dengue is not spread directly from person-to-person.

According to a health department advisory issued this afternoon, mosquitoes typically bite at dusk and dawn, but those that carry dengue fever bite during the day as well, especially indoors, in shaded areas or when the weather is cloudy.

The types of mosquitoes that can carry the disease are present in Hillsborough County, but there have not been any locally acquired dengue cases here in recent history, the advisory said. It is estimated that there are over 100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year.

Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, joint and bone pain and a rash. There is no specific medication for treatment of a dengue infection and residents who think they have dengue should contact their doctors for evaluation and testing.

Hillsborough County Mosquito Control will continue to inspect and treat the Seminole Heights area as needed.

Regular rain storms give mosquitoes a chance to breed, so all Hillsborough County residents are asked to use preventive measures to help stop the spread of mosquito borne illness.

"Something as seemingly innocent as a water-filled bottle cap or a clogged gutter can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes," Warren McDougle, epidemiology program manager with the health department said in the advisory. "We really need the assistance of our community to reduce the mosquito population, especially since we've had so much rain in the past several weeks."

Here are some mosquito prevention tips:

Empty any standing water around your home weekly, including buckets, tires, bird baths and garbage cans, where mosquitoes breed.

Avoid outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active.

Use DEET with concentrations up to 30 percent or other repellents containing picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. It is not recommended to use DEET on children younger than 2 months old. Always read manufacturer's directions carefully before applying repellent.