NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A second case of the West Nile Virus has been confirmed in Miami-Dade County.
Health officials confirmed the diagnosis on Wednesday.
They also have a word of warning about standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, especially now as floodwater has plagued most of the county as a result of days of heavy rainfall.
7News cameras on Thursday captured employees putting sandbags outside area businesses to keep floodwaters out.
The Florida Department of Health of Miami-Dade County is under a mosquito-borne illness alert dealing with the West Nile virus in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Mosquitoes, this is a lot of them that started to come back out. They started to come back out and the sickness and the water, too, people walking on it,” said resident Efrain Torres. “I know about what I heard. It’s very dangerous because I got two kids in the house, and my wife is gonna get an operation, and I’m very worried. That’s why I try to keep her inside and not to let her come out of the house.”
Experts said people contract the virus after being bitten by an infected mosquito. While some people do not feel sick, those who do usually have a fever, headache, body aches, rash and swollen lymph nodes, as well as feeling fatigued.
Officials advise residents to remove standing water from drains, garbage cans, old tires and buckets, as well as to stay indoors around dusk/dawn, cover their skin, wear pants and long sleeve shirts.
Residents can also cover their doors and windows with screens and use insect repellents with DEET to prevent mosquito bites from occurring.
Unlike the coronavirus, health officials said, the West Nile virus cannot be spread from person to person.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.