Three Tampa Bay-area counties in Florida declared emergencies this week due to a sharp increase in dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral infection.
Officials in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties issued emergency orders as Pinellas officials confirmed 179 cases across the three counties.
Most of the cases, 134 of them, are located in Hillsborough County, according to a the local emergency order issued by the country administrator, while seven cases have been confirmed in Pinellas County, officials said. Pasco county officials said two cases were confirmed there.
“Our crews are currently going door-to-door near our treatment areas offering to assist residents in finding potential mosquito breeding areas and treat them with the resident’s approval,” said a Pinellas County news release, issued on Sept. 24….