Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Warning: Duval County Mosquitoes Transmitting West Nile Virus

mosquito
John Tann via Flickr

At least one person in Duval County has caught West Nile virus from a mosquito, the health department warned Thursday.

In a news release, health officials said they’re concerned more people will become sick, as they’ve seen a recent increase in mosquito-borne disease activity.

Symptoms of West Nile range from fever and headaches to comas and paralysis, according to the CDC.

As city mosquito-control workers continue surveillance and prevention efforts, Jacksonville residents are being urged to take extra care to avoid mosquito bites and to drain standing water from anywhere it collects.

At the same time, state health officials are on high alert about another mosquito-borne illness.

More than 560 people in Florida have caught the Zika virus from mosquitoes within the state or other countries. The number of cases continues to grow. 

Contact Jessica Palombo at 904-358-6315, jpalombo@wjct.org or on Twitter at @JessicaPubRadio.

Photo by John Tann used under Creative Commons license.

Jessica Palombo supervises local news gathering and production, podcasts and web editorial content for WJCT News, ADAPT and Jacksonville Today. She is an award-winning writer and journalist with bylines including NPR, Experience Magazine, and The Gainesville Sun. She has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and is an alumna of the University of Florida. A nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville, she considers herself lucky to be raising her own children in her hometown. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JaxJessicaP