What does a St. Petersburg tire shop have to do with a dengue emergency? This is Dengue Fever Watch. We’ll start with the public-health accusation against the shop—and what it’s being ordered to change. Hit follow and you won't have to come looking for the next episode.
Here's Annie Krall at 10 Tampa Bay:
The City of St. Petersburg is pursuing legal action against Thach Tire and Rim, a business on 16th Street North, over what it calls a “threat to the public health,” as dengue fever cases climb across the Tampa Bay area. The city accuses the shop of “storing or allowing the storage of uncovered vehicle tires,” according to court documents.
In St. Petersburg, Florida, a judge has ordered tire-covering measures at Thach Tire and Rim on 16th Street North. According to 10 Tampa Bay's November 3 report, Judge Amy Williams denied the city's temporary injunction request, finding the business was taking steps to address the problem. The city's allegation reaches back to April: uncovered tire piles that can collect rainwater. Health officials say even a little water inside a tire can become a mosquito nursery—a concern with Pinellas County under a local dengue emergency. The judge required the tires to be tarped by November 4 at four p.m., and at the close of each business day. That's a court-ordered requirement, not confirmation the work was completed—or evidence that this shop caused anyone's dengue infection.
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Links to every story we covered are in the show notes, if you’d like to read more about the ones that caught your attention. That’s Dengue Fever Watch for today. Until next time, stay informed and take care. This is a Lantern Podcast.