‘Clean up your rain gutters!’: mosquito control, responsibility, and blame following the 2009–2010 dengue fever outbreak in Key West, Florida

Abstract

During the summer of 2009 the city of Key West saw the first outbreak of dengue fever in the southeastern United States in nearly 70 years. The outbreak was set amidst a growing trend of increased global incidence and distribution, and required an integrated effort amongst local residents and numerous agencies tasked with managing viruses, vectors, and ecological habitats. By using semi-structured interviews with residents and local health and vector control officials, this paper examines the control of the mosquito and tensions surrounding dengue fever on the island more generally. While local agencies view residents as not taking enough action around their properties to clear breeding sites, this research suggests that residents are taking extensive action by not only being aware of sites in their yards, but actively surveilling and intervening in their neighbors’ spaces. Further, important socio-environmental factors were identified that limit residents' abilities to take recommended control actions. Such research is important for the southern US, which has seen a growing increase in dengue and other similar diseases in recent years, as mosquitoes that were previously only annoyances now vector infectious agents.