Avoid the Sting of Mosquitoes
Drain & Cover

Mosquitoes are here! Drain and Cover this year to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites and the diseases they carry.

Drain standing water from garbage cans, pool covers, birdbaths, and flower pots to prevent mosquitoes from living and multiplying around your home.

Cover your skin with clothing or insect repellent to stop the bite. Do not let mosquitoes get the best of you!

Learn more about Drain & Cover, and mosquito-borne illnesses.

Know the signs of Heat Stress

As temperatures rise and people spend more time in the summer heat, it is important to recognize the signs of heat stress. Heat stress refers to several heat-related illnesses that can develop after exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced fluid replacement. Heat stress can develop into heat exhaustion and may progress to heat stroke. Persons most prone to heat stress are infants, older adults, those with high blood pressure, and individuals working or exercising in a hot environment. View this printable fact sheet (788kb; pdf) for more information about heat stress and how to prevent or manage it.

Syphilis is Spreading in Escambia County

Since 2010, Escambia County has seen an increase in the number of reported cases of syphilis each year. Prior to 2010, we averaged from 20-25 cases per year. In 2012, we had a total of 106 cases of syphilis reported in Escambia County. Currently, Escambia County is ranked #1 in the state of Florida for the number of cases reported.

You could have syphilis and not even know it. A syphilis infection may have no signs or symptoms. The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County recommends that any sexually active residents get tested.

If you are sexually active, see your primary care physician to get tested or go to:

Touch Supervision Is Effective Drowning Prevention

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. for children between the ages of 1 and 4. Drowning deaths occur mostly in swimming pools and natural/open water, but they may also happen in bathtubs, toilets, buckets, and wading pools.

The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County promotes the practice of “touch supervision” to prevent drowning. “Touch supervision” means a physically capable adult is always at arm’s length of a child who is in or near water.

Adults should always remain within an arm’s distance to ensure the safety of the children around bathtubs, swimming pools, and natural bodies of water. Touch supervision should be practiced any time a child is in or near the water, even if you are at a pool or beach where there is a life guard.

Additional recommended drowning prevention measures include:

• Fence it off. Install a four-sided isolation fence, with self-closing and self-latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when a parent cannot supervise them.
• Make life jackets a “must.” Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Water wings, noodles, inner tubes or any other air-filled or foam toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.
• Learn CPR. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and get recertified every two years. CPR can help a child stay alive with little or no brain damage.
• Stay out of the water. Obey all pool/beach closure signs and hazard warnings. Do not swim in public pools or open water areas where there is no life guard on duty.