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Monday's Daily Pulse

Whatever happened to the Zika epidemic?

The state Health Department counts only 180 Zika infections in Florida so far in 2017, on track to come in well below the 1,456 cases reported all of last year. The vast majority are travel-related cases brought to Florida by people who came from somewhere else. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Related, from Florida Trend :
» Video Q & A with Dr. Glenn Morris of UF's Emerging Pathogens Institute, in which he talks about how EPI was at the vanguard of Zika research.
Quick poll
» Are you still being cautious to prevent mosquito-borne diseases? (i.e. protective clothing, insect repellant)

Fresh Florida lobster won’t be easy to find after Hurricane Irma

More than two weeks after Hurricane Irma, the Keys’ $150 million commercial fishing and trapping industry is at a standstill. And the result could affect every link in the chain, from the fisherman to the restaurant and grocery store consumer. If you find Florida spiny lobster at your local market, it will undoubtedly be frozen. [Source: Miami Herald]

See also:
» Large scale fish kill affecting Florida residents statewide

For paycheck-to-paycheck workers, Hurricane Irma means financial disaster

Though Irma meant inconvenience and discomfort to some, for Florida’s paycheck-to-paycheck workers, it has created a second wave of suffering. From spoiled food to home repairs to rising gas prices, Floridians trying to eek out a living wage have found themselves facing a gauntlet of unbudgeted expenses. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Fried potatoes: Chipping away at potato farmer's future

Potatoes might not be in the future for one award-winning potato farm. Shortly after Alan Jones and his family established a potato farm in northern Manatee County in the late 1980s, Jones started hearing that fertilizer runoff from farms near the coast might be contributing to red tide. Full story from Florida Trend, here.

Hurricane Irma gives most of Florida bath of raw sewage

Hurricane Irma churned up a sewage bath for Florida’s tiny towns and big cities that looks to have no precedent. That’s saying a lot as hurricanes often douse the state with wastewater, including last year’s Hermine at Tampa Bay and Matthew at Jacksonville. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando tourist attractions declare they're back after Irma
After pausing for Hurricane Irma’s impact and assessing the damage, Orlando’s attractions are ready for tourists around the globe to return, and they’re set to tell you about it.

› Nathan Benderson Park not Sarasota-Bradenton’s only sports hub
Sarasota’s Nathan Benderson Park is basking in the international spotlight as it hosts the 2017 World Rowing Championships, the first time the global event has taken place in the U.S. in more than two decades.

› Hurricane Irma impact on First Coast business may be worst single event hurting commercial operations
A member of the board of directors for JAX Chamber said Irma is likely the biggest, single negative event to impact Jacksonville business.

› 'Mixed reality' emerges as new growth area for Orlando firm
An Orlando tech company that builds virtual reality-based training systems has made a push into a fast-growing field that combines the technology with augmented reality.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Drones more helpful than ever in hurricane-ravaged Texas, Florida
Unmanned aircraft — small and large — swooped in during the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey to get a glimpse of the devastation. That's why insurance companies have been using drone technology more than ever before to quickly -- and safely -- assess damage from the storm.

› Florida Museum of Natural History celebrates 100 years
In the last 100 years the museum has grown from 50,000 objects in the collection to now more than 40 million.

› Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront sells for $109 million
Jacksonville’s largest hotel has been sold for close to $110 million. A deed filed last week with Duval County clerk of courts shows that a corporation in Houston paid $109,965,500 for the 951-room Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel and convention center.

› Darden court battle with EEOC over discrimination is going down to the wire
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is expanding its pool of potential witnesses for its looming court trial against Darden Restaurants’s Seasons 52 chain.

Florida's Movers & Influencers
See some of Florida's top executive moves, board appointments, civic accomplishments, and more at Florida Trend's Movers & Influencers. Each profile appears in three places: in a weekly eNewsletter, online at FloridaTrend.com and in a monthly print issue of Florida Trend. Read more here.