Miami-Dade Dishes Out Nearly $30 Million To Combat Zika

Miami-Dade County will hire a full-time entomologist in its increasingly costly fight against the Zika virus.

The Miami Herald reports the county's budget to combat the mosquito-borne virus is nearing $30 million, with the state reimbursing about $19 million of that. That figure is based on a contracting request the Miami-Dade County Commission approved Tuesday.

A spokesman for County Mayor Carlos Gimenez says the county has spent about $25 million since June 2016. The request includes additional costs the county will ask the state to cover. 

A Zika outbreak in Miami's Wynwood arts district last year was the first on the U.S. mainland and lingered more than a month. Gimenez told commissioners the county conducted nearly 51,000 mosquito inspections after the Zika infections were confirmed.

The latest request details $5 million for insecticide, including larvae-killing tablets dropped into 150,000 storm drains.


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