FL Dengue Outbreak Reaches Historic Levels As New Cases Surge

The number of dengue fever cases in Florida continues to rise, as the state experiences its worst outbreak of the illness in nearly a century despite efforts to prevent its spread and control the mosquito population.

The state also saw its first dengue death in nearly a century when an elderly woman died from the disease in September.

There have been 745 cases reported across the state this year, the vast majority of them in the Tampa Bay area, according to the Florida Department of Health’s most recent Florida Arbovirus Surveillance report for Oct. 11-17.

Of these cases, 425 were locally acquired, the majority in Hillsborough County, where 346 cases have been recorded, the report said.

Mosquito-borne cases have also been reported in the following counties, the report said:

• Brevard: 1
• Broward: 1
• Citrus: 2
• Manatee: 1
• Miami-Dade: 9
• Orange: 8
• Palm Beach: 1
• Pasco: 4
• Pinellas: 51
• Polk: 1

This marks a significant jump in cases from the previous report, dated Oct. 4-10, which recorded 368 total locally acquired cases.

• Also Read: FL’s 1st Dengue Fever Death Confirmed By Health Officials

There have also been 320 travel-related dengue cases since the start of the year, with 266 of them associated with travel to and from Cuba, the Oct. 11-17 report said.

Federal health officials say their data on dengue outbreaks is limited. But available information from state health departments and medical journals suggests the Florida outbreak marks the most cases in a calendar year for any state since at least the 1940s.

Puerto Rico is consistently hit hard by dengue, with numbers much higher than what’s seen in any of the 50 states. But in the continental U.S., Florida usually gets the most locally transmitted cases. The state’s previous worst year was 2023, when just under 200 locally spread cases were reported.

Health officials in many Florida counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, and others in the Tampa Bay area, have declared local emergencies related to the outbreak, as workers across the state continue to spray for mosquitoes.

“Residents throughout the state should take precautions from mosquito-borne illnesses by appropriately applying insect repellent, avoiding areas with high mosquito populations, and wearing long pants and shirts when possible — especially during sunrise and sunset when mosquitoes are most active,” Claire Maher, public information officer for the health department in Hillsborough, said.

Those experiencing dengue symptoms should contact their health care provider or local county health department, she added.

Dengue can present as a flu-like illness with the following symptoms, health officials said:

• severe muscle aches
• joint pain
• fever
• rash

There are no respiratory symptoms associated with dengue.

Symptoms usually appear within 15 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito, health officials said.

A number of counties, including Hillsborough, have increased mosquito treatments by air and ground.

Health officials offer the following tips for mosquito prevention:

• Empty or cover anything that may hold standing water, such as buckets, toys, birdbaths, gutters, coolers, tires, trash bins and pet water containers. Mosquitoes can breed even in water that collects in a bottle cap.
• When spending time outdoors, use EPA-approved mosquito repellent as instructed on the label.
• Wear light-colored long sleeves and pants when possible.

This story includes reporting by The Associated Press.