TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough and Pasco counties are working together to target mosquitoes spreading dengue fever as cases rise in the Tampa Bay area, with at least 59 people infected in Hillsborough County this year, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Cases have also been reported in Pinellas, Pasco, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. No deaths have been reported, but dengue can cause high fever and, in severe cases, can be deadly.
Hillsborough County Mosquito Control regularly conducts nighttime helicopter missions across the county.
Anthony Hudson, chief pilot with Hillsborough County Mosquito Control, said the pesticide is applied in very small amounts.
“It’s called ULV, ultra-low volume,” Hudson said. “So the amount that we spray out in the area is less than an ounce per acre.”
With the recent dengue outbreak infecting dozens of Hillsborough County residents, Pasco County has joined the effort. Hudson said the additional helicopter missions will be more noticeable than the usual nighttime work.
“You’ll hear it for several minutes,” Hudson said.
The pesticide applications are focused on central Tampa, including areas around the I-275 and U.S. 41 corridors and neighborhoods such as Seminole Heights.
Danny Alberdi, who lives in Seminole Heights, said he noticed the helicopters before learning through a neighborhood group chat that they were part of the dengue response.
“The other day, I just kept hearing helicopters, and I didn’t think anything of it,” Alberdi said. “The sheriffs will have helicopters. They’ll be chasing somebody down nearby. And that’s not totally unusual.”
Alberdi said the flyovers were noticeable but not intrusive.
Adriane Rogers with the Pasco County Mosquito Control District said the county’s orange helicopter flies lower and slower because of the application method being used.
“The application method that we’re supplementing here using the orange helicopter… has been proven really effective during dengue transmission with Aedes aegypti specifically,” Rogers said. “When using this method in conjunction with our other control tools, we will be able to stop this.”
The two counties have worked together before, but officials said this time they have signed a formal agreement. Officials said the treatment is designed to target mosquitoes while avoiding impacts on other insects, including bees.
“This is going to take several weeks of interruption to that mosquito life cycle, to really get mosquito populations low enough that it can no longer sustain disease transmission,” Rogers said.
Hudson said several counties are helping with the response.
“We’re staying pretty busy,” Hudson said. “Two aircraft, two pilots from Pasco, two aircraft and two pilots from Manatee County. So everybody’s coming in to help knock this down.”
Mosquito control officials said they will continue tracking dengue cases with the Florida Department of Health. Until cases come down, aerial spraying is expected to continue.
Officials said residents should stay indoors during spraying when possible and keep windows and doors closed until the helicopter has moved out of the area. They also recommend following any additional instructions from local mosquito control officials.
Residents can also help reduce the mosquito population around their own homes.
Mosquitoes can breed even in small containers of standing water.
Water can sometimes be found in things outside like pet bowls, buckets, toys and trash cans. Officials recommend checking those once a week. They say it is also a good idea to clear rain gutters and drains.