Dengue Fever “I’m back!” and Zika Update

The Florida Department of Health is investigating a travel related case of Dengue Fever in Palm Beach County, according to published reports. Like Zika, Dengue is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and can spread locally. Health officials won’t say which town the patient lives in. This is the second case of Dengue Fever reported in Palm Beach County of 2016. The other was reported last month. Martin County was the center of a Dengue Fever outbreak back in 2013. 28 people were infected that year. Inspections showed the type of mosquito that carries dengue fever was breeding in Jensen Beach. The new’s reported downtown Jensen but it was actually Rio.

I’m sure everyone remember when we had Dengue Fever in Rio and many of our friends got sick. No one would help us! Hopefully Palm Beach County will get more attention.

Then in Miami aerial spraying to kill mosquitoes possibly carrying the Zika virus will commence this morning after Miami Beach officials earlier this week were convinced by a throng of protesters– some wearing gas-masks– to delay the spraying which was to begin yesterday. Many residents fear the cure may the worse than the disease. Meanwhile, in Washington the debate continues over passage of a stalled bill to fund the Zika fight.

For a pregnant woman & her developing baby, #Zika can be devastating. How we can protect them. @WhiteHouse. https://t.co/OG6IxGLtwD

— Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) September 9, 2016

Congress continues to fight about funding.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/zika-senate-congress.html

It’s the same Washington game that they played. There is a bill to defund Planned Parenthood stuck in there by the Republicans this time. (another game played by congress so nothing actually ever gets accomplished. Both sides do this so don’t think I’m picking on anyone)

“Florida, in particular, has been burning through funds quickly, undertaking the costly work of spraying and otherwise controlling the mosquito population, and health experts worry that another cluster of cases elsewhere might cost more money than they have.

The Republican-driven package was supposed to resolve the differences between a bipartisan Senate plan and a less Democrat-friendly House version. The bill would exclude Planned Parenthood from the list of providers that get new funding for contraception to combat spread of the virus, which can be sexually transmitted.”

What can we do?

We need to get rid of any standing water around our houses so we are not growing mosquitoes. Here is a good article to read. Let’s do for prevention while we wait for them to duke it out in DC.

https://insects.about.com/od/insectpests/a/mosquitocontrol.htm