PASCO COUNTY — County commissioners declared a seven-day local state of emergency this week so Pasco’s emergency managers and mosquito-control partners can move faster as dengue activity climbs across the Tampa Bay region.
The order, approved by the Pasco Board of County Commissioners, gives the County Administrator and Emergency Management Director authority to bypass ordinary purchasing and procedural steps when they decide quick action is needed to protect public health, safety and welfare. The declaration lasts seven days unless the County Administrator lifts it sooner.
Pasco departments are coordinating with the Pasco County Mosquito Control District and the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County on surveillance, treatment and public messaging, according to local coverage of the vote and follow-up reports Thursday from FOX 13 and other outlets.
Why a local SOE, and what it changes
A county state of emergency is not a lockdown and does not by itself close schools or cancel events. It is a legal tool that shortens the distance between a mosquito-control decision and the trucks, aircraft, contracts or overtime needed to carry it out.
Officials framed the move as proactive. Pasco has reported far fewer locally acquired dengue cases than neighboring Hillsborough, but regional transmission has been rising and Florida’s warm fall keeps container-breeding mosquitoes active. Florida Department of Health surveillance summarized in mid-September put statewide locally acquired dengue around 152 cases, with Hillsborough alone at 134, Pinellas at 7 and Pasco at 2 — weekly totals that can shift as labs confirm more infections.
Pasco has already been assisting the regional response with aerial larvicide suited to tighter neighborhoods and ground work aimed at Aedes mosquitoes, the daytime biters that drive dengue. The SOE is meant to keep that tempo from getting stuck in routine procurement when crews need to surge treatments, traps or staffing.
Drain and Cover: what residents can do this week
Public health agencies keep returning to the same practical checklist — often branded “Drain and Cover” — because dengue mosquitoes breed in teaspoons of water around homes and bite during daylight hours:
- Drain standing water at least once a week. Empty flowerpot saucers, buckets, birdbaths, pet bowls, toys, coolers, tarps, gutters and pool covers. A bottle cap of rainwater is enough for Aedes eggs.
- Cover skin with long sleeves and pants when you can, especially in shaded yards where the mosquitoes rest.
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent and follow the label. Reapply after heavy sweating or swimming.
- Repair window and door screens so daytime mosquitoes stay outside. Run fans on porches; moving air makes it harder for mosquitoes to land.
DOH-Pasco previously reminded residents of the same steps after confirming dengue activity in the county. Mosquito Control asks neighbors who see heavy breeding sites or want treatment guidance to call 727-376-4568 or visit pascomosquito.org. Health questions can go to DOH-Pasco at 727-619-0300 or pasco.floridahealth.gov.
What to watch medically
Dengue is often nicknamed “break-bone fever” because of crushing joint and muscle pain. Common symptoms include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea and rash. Most people recover at home with rest and fluids, but warning signs that need emergency care include severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from gums or other sites, difficulty breathing, or a sudden worsening as a fever starts to break — advice clinicians at regional hospitals have been repeating as case counts climbed.
There is no routine over-the-counter cure and no widely available vaccine campaign for local residents. Prevention still starts in the yard: dump the water, cover the skin, and call mosquito control if a property is breeding faster than a homeowner can keep up. Travelers returning from dengue-endemic areas should also take bite precautions for the first weeks home so local mosquitoes do not pick up the virus.
The seven-day clock on Pasco’s order began with the commission’s vote. If conditions ease, administrators can end it early; if dengue pressure continues, commissioners can extend emergency authority through a new vote. For now, the practical ask to residents is simple and local: walk the property once a week, tip out the water, and treat mosquito control as a neighborhood job — not only a county truck’s problem.