Mosquitoes

Polk County is working to make sure the odds of malaria spreading northward are as low as possible.

Six people in the county have contracted the disease in recent weeks from mosquitoes in the area, officials say. The state remains under a mosquito-borne illness alert.

The last time mosquito-borne malaria occurred in the U.S. was in 2003, when eight cases were identified in Palm Beach County.

This week, a health alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also noted that another case has been detected in Texas, marking the first time there has been a local spread of malaria in the United States in 20 years.

The population of mosquitos is growing along with Florida's population of people and brings diseases like dengue fever and malaria. Climate change is sending non-native, invasive mosquito species to North America – specifically Florida.

The Florida Department of Health provided a list of precautions with a “mosquito-borne illness” advisory. And the CDC issued a warning to doctors, especially in the South, to be aware of the possibility of infections after a fifth case was confirmed in Texas.

A person who developed malaria after being bitten by a mosquito was treated promptly at a hospital and has since recovered. Here's a list of preventative measures.

Little is known about the mosquito species known as Culex lactator. But it belongs to a group of mosquitoes known to carry diseases and researchers are worried about what will happen.

State health officials have increased concerns that other people may become sick as Lee County becomes the latest county to detect the virus.

Today, the same day that the first human case of West Nile virus was reported in Florida this year, health officials warned that sentinel chickens in Lee County have tested positive for the infection. Someone near Daytona Beach in Volusia County has been infected with the virus, which is most often spread by a bite from a mosquito. Most people do not develop any symptoms from the virus, however, about 20 percent infected will experience headaches, body aches, joint pain, diarrhea, or a rash, or some combination.

Health officials issued an advisory after three sentinel chickens tested positive for the mosquito-borne disease.

Standing water from such places as garbage cans, buckets, and pool covers is the main culprit.