CDC reports surge in dengue cases across 15 states, Florida hardest hit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase of 130 dengue fever cases across 15 U. S. states, with Florida accounting for the largest jump amid an ongoing local outbreak. Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise signed an order extending the county’s state of emergency for dengue fever through Oct.
8, as the county continued to record the majority of Florida’s cases. The emergency orders followed Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties issuing seven-day declarations to accelerate mosquito-control measures after the state confirmed more than 250 locally acquired dengue infections, the highest number in the continental United States since the 1940s. Health officials have urged residents to eliminate breeding sites and warned that dengue can cause severe disease. A Lakeland resident who suffered a serious bout of dengue shared her story to encourage greater precautions against mosquito bites.
