• Dusk and Dawn -- Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are seeking blood. For many species, this is during the dusk and dawn hours.
   
• Dress -- Wear clothing that covers all your skin.
   
• DEET -- When the potential exists for exposure to mosquitoes, repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) are recommended. Products with concentrations up to 30 percent DEET are generally recommended. It is not recommended to use DEET on children younger than 2 months old. Infants should be kept indoors or mosquito netting should be used over carriers when mosquitoes are present. If additional protection is necessary, apply a permethrin repellent directly to your clothing. Always read the manufacturer's directions carefully before you put on a repellent.
   
• Drainage -- Check your home to rid it of standing water, which is where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.
   
• Screens -- Make sure that windows remain closed or are sealed completely by screens at night.
  
  Tips on Eliminating Mosquito Breeding Sites
  Elimination of breeding sites is one of the keys to prevention.
   
• Clean out eaves, troughs and gutters.
   
• Remove old tires or drill holes in those used in playgrounds to drain.
   
• Turn over or remove empty plastic pots.
   
• Pick up all beverage containers and cups.
   
• Check tarps on boats or other equipment that may collect water.
   
• Pump out bilges on boats.
   
• Replace water in birdbaths and pet or other animal feeding dishes at least once a week.
   
• Change water in plant trays, including hanging plants, at least once a week.
   
• Remove vegetation or obstructions in drainage ditches that prevent the flow of water.

    Symptoms of West Nile virus may include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion. Physicians should contact their county health department if they suspect an individual may have a mosquito-borne illness. DOH laboratories provide testing services for physicians treating patients with clinical signs of mosquito-borne disease.

    For more information on mosquito-borne illnesses, visit DOH’s Environmental Health Web site at www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/hsee/arbo/index.htm, call the West Nile Virus Hotline at 1-888-880-5782, the Palm Beach County Health Department at 561-514-5373 or the mosquito control hotline at 561-642-8775.

    Florida Emergency Information Line: 1-800-342-3557.

    Public Information Emergency Support Function: (850) 921-0384.
 

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