Lee County sees three new reported cases of dengue in past week

Lee County is monitoring mosquito activity as three new cases of dengue were reported in the past week. Florida's total number of travel-related cases was 186 as of Sept. 12, according to the state Department of Health's most recent survey. "It's basically the Florida state bird," said Aaron Gutzdorf, a pest control operator, referring to mosquitoes. He described controlling the insect as an uphill battle. "We're never going to eradicate the mosquitoes because of standing water and how quickly they can reproduce, but our job is to go through and minimize as much as possible," Gutzdorf said. Lee County Mosquito Control confirmed that the three new dengue cases were linked to individuals who traveled outside the U.S. "One of the biggest things is that we want to make sure that we catch it before it gets to humans," said Jenifer McBride of Lee County Mosquito Control. Dengue, nicknamed "breakbone fever," can cause severe pain in joints and muscles in addition to flu-like symptoms. McBride explained that monitoring mosquitoes is essential to containing the disease, primarily through trapping them. Researchers sort mosquitoes by species and location to determine which ones may carry the disease. "We're not worried, but we are certainly being extra vigilant right now to make sure that we're containing it," McBride said. Gutzdorf advised residents to reduce standing water on their properties to help control mosquito populations. " through and standing water your property. Whether it be backed-up gutters, pots — you know, things you wouldn't think of normally around your house — go through and just do a walk-around. Make sure that you don't see standing water," Gutzdorf said. As of Tuesday, no locally transmitted cases of dengue have been reported in Lee County. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.