TAMPA, FL (WFTS) — Public health officials are continuing an aggressive neighborhood outreach campaign as Hillsborough County's dengue outbreak shows no signs of ending.
Teams from the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County spent Friday morning walking door-to-door in Forest Hills, handing out educational pamphlets and speaking with residents about how to protect themselves from mosquito bites and eliminate breeding grounds around their homes. Tampa Bay 28's Jada Williams was there to go along for the educational walk.
The effort comes as the county reports 259 locally acquired confirmed dengue cases as of Oct. 3.
"This outbreak is going to take some time," said Claire Maher, public information officer for the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County.
Maher said recent rainfall continues to complicate mosquito control efforts.
"Every time it rains, those flower pots, those tires fill back up with water," Maher said. "When it rains, it hinders mosquito management's efforts. They're going to have to retreat areas multiple times because that rain is going to wash a lot of things away."
Health officials say another challenge is that many infected people never realize they have the virus.
"About one in four people might not even display any symptoms," Maher said. "If that person gets bit not knowing they have dengue fever, that's going to get reintroduced back into the mosquito population and continue the cycle of transmission."
Dengue, sometimes called "breakbone fever," can cause severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, high fevers, rashes, nausea, vomiting and significant joint and bone pain.
Residents who develop symptoms after being bitten by mosquitoes are encouraged to contact a doctor and discuss their recent exposure.
While health officials are working to slow transmission, they're also relying on residents to do their part.
"We've been going out door to door to different neighborhoods throughout Hillsborough County for the past two months now," Maher said.
The message officials are delivering remains simple: use mosquito repellent, wear long sleeves and long pants, and eliminate standing water wherever possible.
"Those are going to be the top three things we can all do to prevent mosquito bites and stop mosquito breeding," Maher said.
Officials say community involvement is essential because government agencies cannot inspect every property.
"Mosquito management, government, city officials, we can't go to every single backyard," Maher said. "That's why we're asking people to help educate neighbors and family members."
But not everyone is convinced.
Longtime resident JT Hallman watched the activity unfold from his property. He had a brief conversation with the Code Enforcement and Health Department team going door-to-door.
"They said they were going to go in the back and put some mosquito repellent or whatever," Hallman said. "They said it wouldn't hurt any animals."
However, Hallman admitted he did not stay to watch the work being done. Tampa Bay 28's cameras did catch code enforcement tossing mosquito dunks around the neighborhood.
Asked whether he was skeptical of the response, Hallman did not hesitate.
"Oh yeah."
The skepticism comes from decades of experience living in the community.
"I've been here 58 years," Hallman said. "The only thing they ever did was mow the field, and they quit that about 10 years ago and haven't done anything since."
Despite the county's ongoing dengue response, Hallman said seeing pamphlets and hearing promises is not enough to change his perspective.
"What would change it? To see somebody do something," Hallman said. "That's all. You want somebody to do something."
Hallman said he follows reports about dengue on television and has seen educational materials left at homes throughout the neighborhood.
Still, he doubts government activity alone will solve the issue.
Instead, he focuses on maintaining his own property, keeping water moving through ponds on his land and monitoring potential mosquito breeding areas.
"I try and watch for myself," Hallman said.
Public health officials acknowledge that success ultimately depends on both governmental action and community participation.
While the number of cases continues to grow, Maher said the county is not currently seeing dramatic spikes.
"We're still seeing an increase of cases, and that's kind of expected because there's still active transmission in our county," Maher said. "However, there isn't a huge increase or a huge decrease. We're kind of steady at the moment."
For now, health officials say the best defense remains preventing mosquitoes from breeding and avoiding bites whenever possible.
As mosquito control efforts continue across Hillsborough County, officials hope residents will join the fight by checking their own backyards before the next rainstorm arrives.
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