Clearwater and the rest of Pinellas County will remain under a mosquito-borne illness emergency until Thursday, Oct. 8, after the county administrator extended the declaration Wednesday, Sept. 30.

County Administrator Barry Burton signed the extension order at 1:33 p.m., keeping elevated mosquito-control operations running across all of Pinellas, including Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Largo. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners first declared the emergency Sept. 24 under Resolution 26-76. Under Florida law, local emergency declarations expire after seven days and must be renewed.

The county now faces two mosquito-borne threats.

Seven confirmed dengue cases have been reported in Pinellas since August, according to a Florida Department of Health (FDOH) report dated Sept. 24. Across the Tampa Bay region, Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties have recorded 179 confirmed dengue cases combined.

On top of dengue, Pinellas County has detected increased West Nile virus activity in its sentinel chicken flocks, the county said. Sentinel chickens are kept at monitoring stations to provide early warning of viruses circulating in local mosquito populations. The county described the detection as a sign of potential human transmission risk.

The emergency declaration gives Burton authority to fast-track spending on mosquito control. It also positions the county for state reimbursement if the governor makes funding available.

Pinellas County Mosquito Control crews are conducting truck-based and aerial spraying treatments across the county. In targeted areas, crews wearing county uniforms and ID badges are going door to door, asking residents for permission to treat standing water where mosquito larvae develop, Bay News 9 reported.

The county is also waiving residential tire disposal fees from Sept. 28 through Oct. 30. Residents can drop off up to four tires, no larger than 36 inches in diameter, at no charge at the Solid Waste Disposal Complex at 3095 114th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg.

The site is open Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Proof of Pinellas County residency is required, and the fee waiver does not apply to businesses.

Kaye Buckler, owner of Pest Care in Largo who grew up in Jamaica, told Tampa Bay 28 on Sept. 25: "The people that did have dengue really suffered, it's an extremely high fever and body aches."

The broader Tampa Bay outbreak has already turned deadly. WUSF reported that Hillsborough County confirmed the first dengue-caused death in the region in about 100 years, an 80-year-old woman bitten near her South Tampa home.

County officials urge residents to follow the "Dump, Dress, Defend" approach. Dump standing water from containers at least once a week. Dress in light-colored, long-sleeved clothing with closed-toed shoes. Defend with EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.

The emergency expires at 3 p.m. Oct. 8 unless rescinded or extended again. Residents who believe they have a mosquito-borne illness can contact the FDOH in Pinellas County at (727) 824-6932.