Is West Nile virus a threat in Florida?
Posted by Mosquito Squad
December 20, 2023
Due to the number of mosquito species found in Florida, it would make sense if West Nile virus was running rampant.
But is West Nile virus a threat in Florida today? At the time of this writing, Florida has only reported one human case of West Nile virus. On August 19, 2022, officials confirmed the case to be in Volusia County. With a total of 656 confirmed cases across the United States in 2022, Florida residents are not the most apt to contract West Nile virus. The state with the most cases of West Nile virus in 2022 is Colorado – by a lot! Per the CDC, Colorado has had a staggering number of cases, coming in at 171. California is number two, with 81 confirmed cases in 2022. South Dakota has the third most cases, with 56.
What might cause more or less cases of West Nile virus?
Research throughout the years has suggested that shorter, warmer winters are causes for an increased number of West Nile cases, not just in Florida, but other parts of the United States too. It makes sense that environmental conditions that are friendlier to bird and mosquito populations could result in more cases of this mosquito-borne illness.
One 2021 study conducted by University of Southern Florida shed new light on the list of causes for increased West Nile virus cases – literally. This study found that light pollution can now be added to that list. Florida uses sentinel chickens to track West Nile hotspots across the state. This study concluded that coops that were in areas of low lighting proved to have more cases of the disease than those in dark, rural locations. Researchers believe that this is because mosquitoes and birds are more likely to gravitate toward lighted areas.
What can sentinel chickens tell us about mosquito activity and mosquito-borne illness prevention? Coops throughout Florida help state and county officials track where there are virus-ridden populations of mosquitoes, so they can deploy municipal mosquito control sprays. Programs like those carried out with sentinel chickens could be responsible for a decrease in cases of West Nile virus in Florida.
Mosquito control in Jacksonville helps control mosquitoes and decreases the risk of West Nile virus in Florida.
Home and business owners are wise to the threat of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases in Florida. More and more residents are choosing to treat their properties with professional mosquito control to augment their city’s mosquito control sprays. Mosquito Squad of Northeast Florida offers proven mosquito control solutions, which are guaranteed to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home. Choose between our EPA-registered barrier protection spray, which is applied about every three weeks, and our natural mosquito control solution, which lasts about two weeks between sprays.
With 80 different species of mosquitoes buzzing around the state of Florida, choosing not to protect your property could be a detriment to your family’s health. Call on Mosquito Squad of Northeast Florida for trusted mosquito control Jacksonville. Get in touch with us at (904) 844-0816.