SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A statewide mosquito-borne illness advisory is in effect after four people contracted malaria in Florida.
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Mosquito control has been a concern for weeks in Seminole County with an increase in pests breeding in places where water tends to collect.
Seminole County officials have tips on how you can protect yourself.
The Department of Health said they did not have malaria cases reported in Seminole County.
Read: Mosquito season is here: How to protect yourself
Officials said stagnant water from tires, flowerpots and buckets should be drained regularly.
Sharon Wetzl, the manager of Seminole County’s Watershed Management Division, said it could be a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitos.
“We’ve seen an increase in container-breeding mosquitos,” Wetzl said. “These are mosquitoes that breed anything that can hold water for more than just a few days.”
Read: New mosquito species arrives in Florida bringing with it new disease concerns
She said residents could look in their yards and drain the birdbaths.
Wetzl said that because of the rain during this time of year, there are many mosquitoes.
But this year, the group has seen a 60% increase in breeding mosquitoes in the county’s urban areas.
Read: Mosquito-borne illness advisory issued by health officials in Orange County
“Our mosquito control group is out daily larviciding, which is where we focus on treating for the larva and mosquito control larva in standing waters like ditches,” Wetzl said.
She added that the team would go to neighborhoods and catch basins in streets, collecting stormwater and treating those.
The groups are fogging mosquito areas at night as more people will spend time outdoors for the Fourth of July weekend.
The county also asks people to do their part.
If you would like to request mosquito control to come out to your neighborhood, you can put in a request through the county’s website by clicking here.
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