From the Palm Beach Post
October 16, 2019
Health officials in Palm Beach County are urging residents to take precautions against mosquito-borne diseases, with recent rainfall and standing water creating a “breeding ground” for the biting, flying insects.
Those diseases include dengue fever, of which there already have been two locally transmitted cases in South Florida, as well as the Chikungunya, West Nile and Zika viruses.
The county is asking residents to “drain and cover,” meaning residents should empty or disperse standing water around their homes, including in garbage cans, gutters, buckets and pool covers, and wear protective clothing when out after dark to guard against mosquito bites.
Recent rainfall, including standing water left from the outer bands of Hurricane Dorian on Labor Day weekend, have created conditions across the county that can help mosquitoes multiply, Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, said in a prepared statement.