Hillsborough County's dengue response was pegged at about two and a half million dollars in meeting materials. On Wednesday, a county official told commissioners it is headed past six million. This is Dengue Fever Watch for Thursday, October 8th. Today: that cost jump, Tampa's fines for tire shops holding water, and why mosquito experts are eyeing an El Niño winter. One tap on follow, and we'll be back in your ears before you know it.
Jesse Mendoza, writing for Florida Politics:
But those amounts represent only part of a response that is getting more expensive by the day. County officials said agenda materials pegged the total cost at about $2.5 million, but said that figure has already climbed to $4.1 million and continues to increase.
We reported that two and a half million figure last episode. Four point one already? And rising. County engineering and operations director Josh Bellotti said a purchase order made Wednesday morning would push it over six million dollars. Commissioners voted 6-0 for nearly $849,000 in emergency mosquito-control purchases and a mutual-aid deal with Lee County, which has sent four helicopters. The county is drawing on disaster reserve funds and hopes to seek state reimbursement. Any new case number? Not really. Dr. Carla Fry, who heads the state health department's Hillsborough office, cited 223 locally acquired cases confirmed by the state lab, the same Hillsborough figure as the state report through September 26th. She said the actual number is much higher, with multiple cases still being confirmed. Fox 13 heard something more hopeful from Eric Long, who runs operations for county mosquito management. He said recently returned mosquito pools tested negative and cases are slowly declining, but that it's no time to take the foot off the gas. The next state report, covering September 27th through October 3rd, should help sort that out. Fox 13 said it was due Wednesday; it isn't in our sources yet.
Jada Williams, reporting for Tampa Bay 28:
Wenrick said about 85 businesses are currently being monitored and two have received citations. She outlined the fine schedule for businesses that refuse to comply.
That's Susan Wenrick, Tampa's neighborhood enhancement director, at a city news conference Wednesday. So what does a citation cost? Seventy-five dollars the first time, then 150, then 300 with a mandatory court appearance, and 450 after that. Fox 13 reports city crews have also collected 23 tons of discarded tires. Why so much focus on tire shops? Tires trap rainwater, and Mayor Jane Castor said larvae can grow in as little as a bottle cap of it. Wenrick said the goal is compliance, not punishment, and that her team makes allowances for residents who are elderly or disabled. And WFLA says county officials expect this week's rain to refill containers and set back helicopter missions.
Jenny Staletovich, reporting for WLRN Public Media:
The end of the rainy season and arrival of cooler, drier weather typically signals the end of the mosquito season. But forecasts for powerful El Niño conditions this winter have experts wary.
So the usual hope, that cooler weather winds this down, might not hold? That was the worry at a Tuesday press conference with mosquito-control officials from six counties. Pasco's mosquito control director, Adriane Rogers, said an excessively wet winter would keep mosquito production higher. Worth being clear: that's a concern based on a weather forecast, not a projection of cases. Agreed. Two other details. Carla Fry said the $800,000 the CDC said it is sending hadn't arrived. And WLRN notes mosquito-control districts could lose significant funding if voters approve Amendment 3, a November ballot measure cutting residential property tax revenue. The state mosquito control association hasn't taken a position.
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That wraps up this edition. You'll find the sources for each story in the episode notes. Dengue Fever Watch is a Lantern Podcast, and we'll talk again next time.