Three Florida counties have declared states of emergency amid the spread of dengue fever in the state.As of Sept.23, Pasco County, Hillsborough County and Pinellas County have made the declarations due to a spread of the mosquito-borne disease, according to each county’s news release.The local emergency declarations allow county officials to expedite mosquito-control operations, make emergency purchases, coordinate response efforts and, where applicable, seek state or federal assistance or reimbursement, the releases state.TROPICAL DISEASE SPREAD BY MOSQUITOES CLAIMS FIRST RECORDED DEATH IN SOUTHERN US STATEUnder Florida law, local emergency declarations expire after seven days unless they are renewed.A total of 190 locally acquired dengue cases have been confirmed across six Florida counties, according to the latest Florida Department of Health surveillance report, which covered cases with onset through Sept.
19.Three Florida counties have declared states of emergency amid the spread of dengue fever in the state.(Getty Images)Of the 190 locally acquired cases, 170 were reported in Hillsborough County, seven each in Miami-Dade and Pinellas counties, three in Orange County, two in Pasco County and one in Palm Beach County.The 190 locally acquired infections are separate from travel-associated dengue cases reported in Florida this year.TICK-BORNE 'RABBIT FEVER' SPREADS WITH CASES REPORTED NEAR MAJOR METRO AREADengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can cause fever, severe aches, nausea, rash and, in rare cases, life-threatening complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."The Aedes mosquitoes that can transmit dengue are active during the day and thrive in warm, humid environments like those found in Florida."Dengue is endemic in many tropical and subtropical regions, including Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific islands, Latin America and Africa.
Though less common in the continental U.S., locally acquired cases have been reco...