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Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
What's making us sick in Miami? Heat, hurricanes, insects. Take a look
South Florida What's making us sick in Miami? Heat, hurricanes, insects. Take a look These articles focus on Miami's growing health risks due to climate effects. They discuss heat-related illnesses, hurricanes' mental health impacts, and mosquito-borne diseases. Catch up below. Outdoor worker at Casaplanta Garden Center, Otty Bustos, takes a water break on Friday, July 5, 2024 in Kendale Lakes, Fla. By Sophia Bolivar NO. 1: FLORIDA HAS HIGHEST NUMBER OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES IN THE NATION, NEW REPORT FINDS 'Without common-sense workplace protections, heat-related illness, coupled with Florida's high uninsured rate, will spell trouble for a growing number of residents' | Published July 26, 2024 | Read Full Story by Ashley Miznazi Juan Jose Muñoz (left) and Elvin Antonio Urbina walk with her belongings through the flooded N 15th St in North Tampa, Thursday, October 10, 2024, a day after Hurricane Milton crossed Florida's Gulf Coast. NO. 2: FLORIDIAN HURRICANE SURVIVORS COULD BE SUFFERING FROM PTSD—BUT RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE After a tumultuous hurricane season, an expert says Floridians should look out for symptoms of PTSD. | Published November 27, 2024 | Read Full Story by Denise Hruby Recently installed air-conditioning units at 2840-2842 NW 10th Avenue in Miami, Florida. Federal housing doesn't require air-conditioning, but Miami-Dade County is funding new A/C units for hundreds of public housing apartments. By Jose A. Iglesias NO. 3: ON SWELTERING MIAMI SUMMER DAYS, IT CAN BE HOTTER INSIDE HOMES THAN OUT, STUDY FINDS 'Everyone in Miami has AC. The question is does it work and can you afford to use it?' | Published March 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Harris The Florida Department of Health issued a state-wide mosquito-borne illness alert after six people contracted malaria in Sarasota. By James Gathany NO. 4: MOSQUITO SEASON BEGINS IN SOUTH FLORIDA. IS CLIMATE CHANGE MAKING IT WORSE? As Miami-Dade marks the unofficial beginning of mosquito season with a Wednesday event to help residents 'Fight the Bite', the Herald spoke to the head of the Mosquito Control Division, Dr. | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Hruby People make their way along the shoreline near the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk as temperatures soar into the 90s on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Hollywood, Fla. By Matias J. Ocner NO. 5: FEELING DIZZY? WATCH FOR THESE WARNING SIGNS DURING SOUTH FLORIDA'S HEAT WAVE Some are at higher risk for heat stroke and heat exhaustion. | Published May 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Mosquito season begins in South Florida. Is climate change making it worse?
Climate Change Mosquito season begins in South Florida. Is climate change making it worse? Miami-Dade marks the unofficial beginning of mosquito season with a Wednesday event to help residents 'Fight the Bite', AP As Miami-Dade marks the unofficial beginning of mosquito season with a Wednesday event to help residents 'Fight the Bite', the Herald spoke to the head of the Mosquito Control Division, Dr. John-Paul Mutebi, to answer readers' questions about the links to climate change. Does climate change affect how many mosquitoes we have here, or which disease they transmit? Dr. John-Paul Mutebi: If South Florida gets warmer, it is more hospitable to new mosquito species that are being introduced – they could come in cargo from South America, like potted plants where the mosquitoes may lay eggs, and some hitch hike on a boat or aircraft, because the higher temperature is really good for their survival. They're cold-blooded, so they depend on high temperatures, so that may improve their survival in a new environment. When it comes to disease transmission, there are two aspects: One is extending the range they'll be able to invade - if colder latitudes are warmer now, they are able to invade. The other one is the extension of mosquito season, so they stay active longer. And that is more dangerous, because usually at the end of the season, that's when we have the largest number of infected mosquitoes. Which diseases are you worried about? Dr. Mutebi: Now we have dengue, but we are working on it, and pretty soon it is going to disappear too. There's Eastern equine and St. Louis encephalitis and yellow fever. Then there's chikungunya – now that one I'm much more afraid of, because it tends to put a lot of people in the hospital. Usually, between 70 and 90% of people who get infected are going to end up with severe symptoms. So that one is much more severe, we keep on watching it. The Zika outbreak in South Florida in 2016, was driven by the ease of transportation – it was introduced by humans that we are infected somewhere else – because people can get infected from one part of the world and 24 hours later they are on the other side of the world. We got it under control, but it can come back because of the same system. What can we do as residents to keep mosquito-transmitted diseases at bay? Dr. Mutebi: One, please don't breed mosquitoes on your property. No discarding cans or any kind of structures that can harbor water. Anything containing water, it doesn't take long – usually within a week or two, they've laid their eggs and they hatched. Residents and businesses in Miami-Dade County can also request a free inspection by calling 311, and that is always very helpful because it helps us clean up and get rid of those mosquitoes before they begin to transmit diseases. In terms of our work, we use more than 300 mosquito traps that we monitor every week. So we capture mosquitoes, identify the species, then we plan our control measures - spraying pesticides is one way, but it depends on the species. Miami-Dade alone has 53 different mosquito species, and each has a different behavior, breeding habits, some transmit diseases and others don't. So it is a diverse group, and a monumental task. This Q&A with Dr. Mutebi has been edited for brevity and clarity. This story is part of a periodic Miami Herald series where we answer reader questions about climate change. Send us yours at climate@ This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
