While there are no cases of dengue fever reported on the Treasure Coast, mosquito control officials said they are keeping a close watch on the situation after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning.
With news of more than a dozen cases of dengue fever in Palm Beach County, the team at Mosquito Control in Martin County has a plan.
“We would monitor that area closer to the county line a little bit more,” Mosquito Control manager Roxanne Baudelaire.
But since it’s summer, Baudelaire said in many ways it’s business as usual when it comes to treating for mosquitoes.
“We do monitor with our partners the Department of Health,” Baudelaire said. “They notify us if there are any cases of mosquito-borne illnesses.”
As of Wednesday, there are no reports of dengue fever anywhere on the Treasure Coast, including Martin County a place that has seen its share of mosquito-borne disease over the years.
Back in 2013, there were 18 reported cases of dengue fever in Martin County, concentrated mostly in the Rio and Jensen Beach areas. So whenever there are any reports of dengue fever on the Treasure Coast, Mosquito Control workers take notice.
At St. Lucie County Mosquito Control, they have yet to see an influx of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the type most responsible for dengue fever. It’s just one of 90 kinds of mosquitoes that live in Florida.
“We have a robust surveillance system here in St. Lucie County that allows us to detect where those particular mosquitoes are,” St. Lucie County Mosquito Control Director Roger Jacobsen said.
For the first time, the county deployed traps specifically designed to catch Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes.
“It’s a battery-powered trap that creates a downdraft and a pulling effect,” senior entomologist Daniel Tuzzolino said.
The recommendation from mosquito control to residents is to wear a repellent that has DEET and is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, be sure to empty any standing water around your home because even something as small as a bottle cap can breed mosquitoes.