Miami-Dade, Broward see more West Nile virus cases. Broward’s first in eight years
Miami-Dade and Broward county health officials have announced more cases of West Nile virus.
On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County confirmed two more people contracted the virus from local transmission. The same day, Broward County’s Florida Department of Health confirmed its first case of the virus in 2020.
Candy Sims, a spokesperson for Broward County’s DOH, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that Broward hasn’t had a West Nile virus case since 2012.
To date, there have been 26 cases of the virus from local transmission in Miami-Dade. The county’s first two cases of West Nile virus were detected in May, both in county residents and through local transmission.
Roughly 1 in 5 of those infected develop a fever or other symptoms, such as headaches, pain and fatigue. Fewer than 1% of people who contract the virus develop a serious or fatal illness.
Symptoms typically appear between two and 14 days after the infected mosquito bites. People with mild symptoms usually recover within a week with treatment. People 60 and older and those with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk for severe disease, health officials said.
Miami-Dade County’s mosquito-control chief, William Petrie, said in late June that this summer’s resurgence of West Nile probably reflects the heavy rains that cause mosquito populations to explode. More mosquitoes mean more mosquito bites, increasing the odds of infection.
The county has been placed under a mosquito-borne-illness alert. The health department said West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. There are no vaccines to prevent it or medications to treat it.
Health officials are reminding residents to “Drain and Cover.” Drain standing water in garbage cans, gutters, buckets, pools, coolers, birdbaths and pet water bowls. Also throw away old tires, drums, bottles, cans and broken appliances.
Cover skin with clothing and apply repellent. Officials advise using repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol and IR3535.
