JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The year's first case of the West Nile virus -- the mosquito-borne illness that claimed three lives locally last summer -- was announced in Duval County on Wednesday.
While last year's West Nile cases began earlier in the mosquito season, that deosn't mean the mosquitoes aren't multiplying fast.
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John Shellhorn is the head of Duval County Mosquito Control. He said the mosquito population is multiplying fast, ever since Tropical Storm Debby moved through.
"We've got standing water. We've got mosquitoes going off," Shellhorn said. "So it's been one of the busiest times we've had in the past few years."
Shellhorn said they've had crews working extra shifts this peak season in Duval County and areas crews in Clay County are really working hard as well.
The areas in Clay County being sprayed regularly are near the water. Crews are pulling extra hours on fog shifts and using aerial planes on a regular basis.
If someone thinks their neighborhood is worse than others, mosquito experts say the problem is everywhere this year.
"With the tremendous amount of water, mosquitoes have just gone off all over the county and it's taken us a few weeks to get a handle on it now, " Shellhorn said.