Pinellas ups mosquito control as dengue cases rise

Driving the news: County crews are focusing their efforts in Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg, performing door-to-door inspections to find and eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

• The mosquitoes that spread dengue often live and breed near homes. They can lay eggs in small amounts of standing water.
• Buckets, toys, plant saucers, tires and other household items left outside can collect enough water for the insects to breed.

What they're saying: "The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day," Berro said in a statement.

• "When someone infected with dengue enters a new area, a local mosquito can bite that person and later spread the virus to others."

Threat level: About one in four people infected with the virus will get sick, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Fever is the most common symptom, often accompanied by headache, rash, vomiting and debilitating joint pain.
• In severe cases, dengue can be life-threatening within a few hours.