San Antonio and the broader South Texas region are facing an elevated risk of dengue fever this summer, driven by a deadly combination: a record mosquito season, confirmed positive Aedes mosquito activity in Bexar County, and a flood of international visitors from dengue-endemic nations arriving for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dengue — a mosquito-borne viral illness — caused a record-breaking global surge in 2024 and 2025, and public health experts warn the conditions in South Texas this summer could allow imported cases to spark local transmission.
The CDC's Health Alert Network has maintained an ongoing advisory about elevated dengue risk in the United States, noting that dengue transmission remains high throughout the Americas. In 2024, Puerto Rico recorded 6,291 dengue cases — more than 52% requiring hospitalization — while more than 1,000 travel-associated dengue cases were reported in Florida alone. With Aedes aegypti mosquitoes now established across Texas, including in Bexar County, every viremic traveler arriving from Mexico, Brazil, or the Caribbean is a potential bridge between international outbreaks and local transmission.
