‘Most people are asymptomatic:’ 1 case of West Nile Virus in Duval, 1 case in St. Johns

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The mosquito population in Northeast Florida is increasing, especially since Hurricane Debby impacted our area.

Mosquitoes are well-known for being a nuisance, but the insects carry different pathogens. The three diseases and parasites Floridians need to be aware of are West Nile virus, Dog heartworm, and Malaria. All three are linked to mosquitoes.

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“When we talk about them being the deadliest animal, they transmit malaria,” Dr. Whitney Qualls said. “On a global perspective, malaria kills more people than any other disease.”

Qualls is the Assistant Director at Anastasia Mosquito Control District in St. Johns County. She has a PhD in Entomology and has specialized in mosquitoes her entire career.

Read: Dr. Anthony Fauci diagnosed with West Nile virus

“In St. Johns County, we’ve already had one of our sentinel animals test positive for West Nile Virus, and so that information, we use to implement control measures,” Qualls said. “We typically do control via ground. We have trucks that go out and make applications called ultra-low volume applications, or by air because we have helicopters.”

Right now, both Duval and Nassau County are under a mosquito-borne illness advisory, according to the Florida Department of Health. The 2024 Mosquito-Borne Disease Activity tracker showed one case of a person with West Nile Virus in Duval County, reported in July. None of our other Northeast Florida counties had human cases of the virus.

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“Most people are asymptomatic,” Qualls said. “They’re not showing symptoms so West Nile virus is really severely underreported.”

Qualls said if a person does have symptoms, it presents as a flu-like illness.

She said it’s important to protect and prevent. Get your pets vaccinated and talk with your veterinarian about the right medicine to protect against heartworm.

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“If they’re gonna be outdoors during peak mosquito activity time, dusk and dawn, to have long sleeves or long pants on or wear repellant,” Qualls advises. “Dump any standing water that you might find in and around your home like a plant saucer or a dog bowl, bird baths—make sure that water you change it out every so many days.”

You can also visit the Disease Vector Education Center in St. Augustine. It’s a free education center that’s open to the public. It has kid-friendly games and activities and can help educate families on how to protect your home and yourself.

For questions and treatment, you can call the Anastasia Mosquito Control District at (904) 471-3107.

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