Florida dengue outbreak reaches highest level in continental U.S. in decades
More than 250 locally acquired dengue cases have been reported in Florida this year, making it the largest outbreak in the continental United States since the 1940s, with officials conducting emergency mosquito-control measures around Tampa.
Florida health officials said the state has recorded over 250 locally transmitted dengue cases this year, the most in any continental U.S. state since at least the 1940s. The majority of infections have been identified in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, prompting local emergencies and round-the-clock mosquito-spraying operations.
The outbreak, first detected in July, is on track to surpass the 264 locally acquired cases reported in Hawaii during 2015-2016. One fatality – an elderly woman in Tampa – was confirmed on Sept. 4.
"Most people in the Tampa area don’t have prior immunity to any form of dengue," said Dawn Wesson, a Tulane University expert on mosquito-borne diseases.
The disease is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, which thrive in warm climates and have expanded their range as temperatures rise. Florida’s status as a travel hub for visitors from dengue-endemic regions, such as Puerto Rico, is believed to contribute to the surge.
"The CDC has provided $800,000 in assistance to the state health department," CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald said, noting that federal investigators have not been deployed because state officials have not requested them.
Public health guidance advises residents to use EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, wear long sleeves and pants, keep windows screened, and eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed. Researchers warn that climate-driven mosquito persistence could make such outbreaks a regular occurrence.
"There’s a good chance that this is the new normal," Wesson added.