Health officials in Miami-Dade County, Florida, confirmed Saturday that at least 18 people living in the county have contracted the West Nile virus.
The latest figures followed comments from the county chief of mosquito control last week that this summer’s resurgence in the West Nile likely reflected the heavy rains that have caused the explosion of mosquito populations, the Miami Herald reported. More mosquitoes have meant more mosquito bites, increasing the chances of infection.
The news came when Florida has seen an increase in the new coronavirus. Both Miami-Dade and Broward County reported their highest numbers so far on Saturday.
The tent above the Theater of Fine Arts asking for help from Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez on Sunday in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.
(AP)
The county was under a mosquito-borne disease alert. The health department reported that West Nile virus has been the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the United States. Doctors have warned that there were no vaccines to prevent it or medications to treat it.
The first two Miami-Dade cases of West Nile virus in the current outbreak were detected in May. On June 11, health officials reported two more cases of the virus. On June 25, 10 more residents were confirmed to have the virus.
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State coronavirus totals rose to more than 11,000 cases Saturday, a record since the pandemic began, bringing Florida’s number of cases to more than 190,000.
Hospitalizations increased by 585 people, and health authorities said 14 percent of Floridians have been infected with COVID-19. It was unclear whether that number represented current infections or the total number of people who had become infected over time, regardless of the people who had recovered.
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In addition, 18 more people died in Florida, as the death toll rose to more than 3,700 people.
Vandana Rambaran and The Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report..
