The last outbreak in 1990 infected 213 people and caused 11 deaths. There were no human cases in Volusia County. The mosquito linked to St. Louis Encephalitis, Culex nigripalpus , is a plain brownish insect that lays egg rafts in water including artificial containers, polluted pools, roadside ditches, and rain-diluted salt marshes. It feeds at night, taking blood from birds, mammals and reptiles. If it bites a bird infected with encephalitis, it may pick up the virus and passes it to a human it bites later.
Precautions Avoid outdoor activities from dusk until dawn, when many mosquitoes are biting.
Empty anything in the yard that holds water such as buckets, tires, flower containers, birdbaths, and drains. Empty and refill your pet's water dish daily. Repair screens on doors and windows. Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito-eating fish.