The Zika pandemic has gotten people talking about mosquito control.
But humans aren’t the only ones affected by mosquito-borne diseases in South Florida.
Mosquitoes are a threat to pets as well.
This month, Miami hosted an international symposium on insect-borne pet diseases.
“Thankfully Zika hasn’t shown up in animals yet and there is no evidence that it will—which doesn’t mean it never will, things change,” said Dr. Dan Carey, a veterinarian from Punta Gorda. “So the concern over mosquitoes and the very same mosquitoes involved in transmitting Zika are also involved in transmitting heartworm.”
The symposium was sponsored by the drug company, Bayer.
According to the company’s animal health division, Duval, Hillsborough and Palm Beach Counties have a particularly high amount of mosquito-borne heartworm.
