As mosquito season starts, Manatee officials prepare for Zika | Bradenton Herald

MANATEE -- On Tuesday, Manatee County was still free of the 109 confirmed cases of Zika in the state, but the Florida Department of Health, Manatee is not sitting around waiting for it to happen here.

With neighbor Pinellas County making the list of Zika-stricken counties a few days ago and mosquito season starting in Manatee, the Florida Department of Health invited about 50 community leaders Tuesday to the Zika Community Outreach briefing at the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center.

The briefing shared general information about the Zika virus with officials from law enforcement, schools, fire departments, transportation agencies, ports and airports, county and city governments and other agencies, said Adam DuBois, a DOH-Manatee spokesman.

The Zika virus, now extremely active in Mexico and throughout Central and South America but not yet in North America, is named for the Zika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1947. Zika virus is related to dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile virus.

The briefing was not open to the general public.

"I think it was a very good presentation," said Sue Troxler, health service specialist for the School District of Manatee County. "I think what it showed me is that it is important to be proactive."

Troxler and other officials got insights into what will happen when the first case is reported in Manatee.

The Florida Department of Health, Manatee will notify all local agencies and municipalities, and Manatee County Mosquito Control will respond.

"Within 24 hours of notification by Manatee County Health Department, a team

of inspectors will visit all residents within a 500-foot radius of the suspect case," mosquito control director Mark Latham said.

If a non-infected Manatee County mosquito bites a person infected with Zika it could transmit the disease to another Manatee person so it is important to eliminate mosquitoes in the subject area, Latham said.

The inspectors will speak to residents, inspect yards, empty containers and hand fog for adult mosquitoes, Latham said.

Troxler and other officials noted the sense of urgency conveyed by Latham, who urged leaders to get the word out to everyone they can about the importance of eliminating mosquito-breeding areas in Manatee County.

Latham said Aedes aegypti, the Zika virus vector insect, is an "urban mosquito" that doesn't stray too far from the yards of ordinary Manatee residents.

"This mosquito is purely found in containers," Latham said. "Do a quick walk around your yard. If you have a bucket, turn it upside down. Tires are the worst things. Eliminate them or cover them. They like old boats. This mosquito loves the folds in a tarp, which collect water."

Aedes aegypti also loves bromeliad plant leaves, which are shaped to hold water, Latham said.

"I will certainly give an overview to our Superintendent Diana Greene. and tell her we need to look for standing water on school properties," Troxler said.

Troxler said she learned Aedes aegypti is a daytime biter, most commonly early morning just after sunrise and late afternoon preceding sunset.

"We don't have to worry so much about our Friday night football games," she said.

Manatee County Sheriff's Sgt. Karen DeVries said she didn't realize the ways the Zika virus is different from other viruses Manatee has dealt with, including dengue and chikungunya.

"We learned you need a human case for local transmission," DeVries said.

Unlike bird viruses, no "reservoir" animal such as a chicken will warn officials of increased Zika activity, DeVries learned.

Latham's crew went out Monday and didn't see many adult mosquitoes, but that will change by the end of the week, he predicted at the briefing.

Five inches of rain fell in Manatee last week, which sparked a seven- or eight-day mosquito incubation expected to bear fruit Wednesday and Thursday when thousands of adult daytime-active mosquitoes will hatch in old tires, boats, tarps, flower pots, totes and a myriad of other items, Latham said.

The heavy rains essentially sparked the local mosquito season, which begins with hot, humid and rainy days, and heightened concerns about Zika.

Fortunately, mosquitoes, even Aedes aegypti, are fairly delicate, Latham said.

"Only 5 percent of the mosquitoes that hatch this week will be with us in two weeks," Latham said. "About 30 percent of the population of adult mosquitoes dies every day."

Only about one in five people infected with Zika virus are symptomatic, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Zika fever is a mild illness and a severe case of the disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, according to the DOH.

Signs and symptoms of Zika fever may include: acute onset of low-grade fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis or reddening of eyes, body aches, headache, eye pain, and vomiting, the DOH website states.

Treatment is symptomatic since there is no specific treatment against the virus. Illness typically resolves within a week, the DOH website states.

The Brazilian health ministry has reported an increase in the numbers of newborns with microcephaly in areas experiencing Zika virus outbreaks, according to the DOH.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.