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.
For families in the Tampa Bay area, the record is less a statistic than a daily household question. The virus is circulating in neighborhood mosquitoes, so a fever in someone who has not left the state can still be dengue, and the gutters, plant saucers and old tires around one home now matter to the whole street.
Tampa Bay Carries Most of the Caseload
Hillsborough County accounts for 223 cases, or about 88% of the state total, according to the state report and WINK News. Pinellas has 13 cases, Miami-Dade 8, Orange 3, Pasco 3, and Palm Beach and Polk 1 each. Polk is newly listed, bringing the number of counties with local spread to seven.
Nearly all cases with a known virus type involve DENV-2, with a small number of DENV-3 infections. The state has also counted 245 travel-associated cases this year. Mosquito-borne illness alerts cover Alachua, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco and Pinellas counties, while Brevard, Leon, Palm Beach, Polk and Walton remain under advisories.
One dengue death has been reported in Florida this year, an older Tampa woman who died Sept. 4, according to the AP. The state report does not publish hospitalization totals.
The pace has not slowed. Statewide, by month of symptom onset, 21 cases began in July, 150 in August and 81 in September, and the September count may still rise as late cases are reported. Mosquito samples from Hillsborough tested positive for dengue three more times in the latest week, bringing the county's total for the year to 19 positive pools.
Emergency Orders Stretch Into October
Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise extended the local emergency from Oct. 1 through Oct. 8 after officials determined that "mosquito surveillance in multiple neighborhoods continued to show dengue virus activity." Pinellas County extended its emergency on Sept. 30, and Pasco remains under one, WUSF reported.
The Lee County Mosquito Control District sent four helicopters north to help with aerial spraying. "The mosquito controls actually join forces because mosquitoes don't know boundaries," said Jenifer McBride, the district's communications director.
Spraying runs day and night. Daytime treatments target larvae, while nighttime treatments target adult mosquitoes. "The treatment we use at night can be a little bit stronger. We're doing that at times where we can kind of protect everyone, so there's no kind of adverse reactions," said Gabriela Henderson of Hillsborough County Mosquito Management.
Most people in the Tampa area have no prior immunity to any form of dengue, Dawn Wesson, a Tulane University expert on dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, told the AP. "There's a good chance that this is the new normal," she said.
MedicalDaily previously reported that local cases had reached 190 as Hillsborough declared an emergency. Since then, the total has grown by 62, a seventh county has been added, and the outbreak has passed the state's 2023 record.
Protecting a Household During an Active Outbreak
Dengue usually starts with fever plus pain behind the eyes or in the muscles, bones, or joints, along with headache, nausea, vomiting, or rash, according to the CDC's dengue symptoms guidance. Symptoms typically last two to seven days. About 1 in 20 people who get sick with dengue develop severe dengue, and warning signs usually begin 24 to 48 hours after the fever goes away.
Those warning signs include belly pain or tenderness, vomiting at least three times in 24 hours, bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood or blood in the stool, and feeling extremely tired or restless. The CDC calls severe dengue a medical emergency, so anyone with these signs should get urgent care and mention possible local mosquito exposure.
Residents in affected counties can empty standing water weekly, use EPA-registered repellent, and repair window screens. Hillsborough accepts up to 12 free tires per year at community collection centers, and Pinellas and Pasco are accepting up to four free tires through the end of October.
People outside the alert counties face much lower risk, and there is no reason to stay indoors entirely. A clinician should decide whether a fever needs dengue testing.
Developing Story Timeline
Oct. 2, 2026: Reports show Florida reached 252 local cases through Sept. 26, with Polk County added.
Oct. 1, 2026: Hillsborough extends its local emergency through Oct. 8.
Sept. 30, 2026: Pinellas extends its emergency, and Lee County helicopters arrive to help with spraying.
Sept. 28, 2026: MedicalDaily reports 190 local cases and a Hillsborough emergency.
The next weekly state report will cover Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, and Hillsborough's emergency order comes up for renewal by Oct. 8.
Key Questions Answered
How many local dengue cases does Florida have?
Florida reported 252 locally acquired cases through Sept. 26, 2026, with 223 in Hillsborough County.
What does "locally acquired" mean?
It means the person was infected by a mosquito in Florida, not while traveling.
Which counties have reported local cases?
Hillsborough, Pinellas, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco, Palm Beach and Polk.
Has anyone died?
One dengue death has been reported this year, an older Tampa woman who died Sept. 4.
Which symptoms need urgent care?
Belly pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding gums or nose, blood in vomit or stool, and extreme tiredness or restlessness after a fever fades.
How can families lower their risk?
Empty standing water, wear repellent, repair screens and use free county tire disposal programs.
Published by Medicaldaily.com
