BARTOW, Fla. — With mosquito season in full swing, state health officials are urging residents to protect themselves after detecting a potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus in Central Florida.
“Well right now it’s really bad but usually there is always mosquitoes,” said Carol Knapp.
Knapp said that because she is spending more time outside, she attended a mosquito-bite prevention workshop in Bartow. It was hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) medical entomologist team.
“We live on the edge of a watershed, and when it fills up with water, we have a lot of mosquitoes, and I didn’t want to do anything that was harmful to that, and we also need to protect ourselves,” said Knapp.
WATCH: Mosquito-borne virus detected in region, experts share tips to prevent bites
Health officials are urging people to take extra precautions. According to the Florida Department of Health, sentinel chickens in Orange County recently tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or Triple-E—a rare but potentially deadly virus transmitted through mosquito bites.
“Lead to death in 30% of the people that get infected with it, and so it is still really important because of the severity of the symptoms that we try and protect ourselves,” said Eva Buckner, UF professor and medical entomology extension specialist.
Buckner recommends wearing EPA-approved insect repellent—especially products containing DEET—or oil of lemon eucalyptus as a natural alternative.
“If you’re out in your backyard gardening or something. Even just being outside walking your dog, something like that. It’s good to make sure that you are using insect repellent,” Buckner said.
Buckner said that wearing loose, long-sleeved shirts and pants can also help reduce bites. She also advises dumping standing water around your home at least once a week to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
“Even water in a container as small as a bottle cap that’s all the mosquito needs for to complete his development,” Buckner said.
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