Florida has now confirmed 252 locally acquired dengue cases this year, meaning people caught the virus from mosquitoes in Florida rather than while traveling. The state added 62 cases in a single reporting week, according to the Florida Department of Health's latest arbovirus report, which covers data through Sept. 26.
The total pushes Florida past its previous worst year, 2023, when just under 200 locally spread cases were reported. Federal health officials say their data on dengue outbreaks are limited, but available information from state health departments and medical journals suggests Florida's outbreak marks the most cases in a calendar year for any state since at least the 1940s, according to an Associated Press report published by CBS Miami.
