Dengue outbreak news
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The gist
Florida reported 296 locally acquired dengue cases in 2026, its largest outbreak in decades.
Local mosquitoes are spreading it, and officials say true counts may be higher.
Background
Florida's 2026 dengue outbreak is the largest in the state in decades, with 296 locally acquired cases reported as of early October. Experts attribute the surge to a long, wet summer that created ideal mosquito breeding conditions, combined with insecticide resistance in local Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Unlike typical dengue cases that are travel-related, this outbreak involves local transmission within Florida, a pattern experts say is becoming more common in the southern U.S. due to climate change expanding mosquito ranges.
How it unfolded
- Jul 202621 dengue cases reported in Florida in July.
- Aug 2026154 dengue cases reported in Florida in August.
- Sep 4, 2026An elderly Tampa woman died of dengue, the first dengue death in Florida this year.
- Sep 18, 202680-year-old Gay Small identified as the first dengue fever death recorded in Florida; cause of death listed as dengue infection along with septic shock and multi-organ failure.
- Sep 19, 2026For the week ending Sept. 19, at least 190 locally acquired dengue cases confirmed in Florida, an increase of 38 from the previous week.
- Sep 2026121 dengue cases reported in Florida in September; three counties — Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas — declared states of emergency.
- Oct 1, 2026Hillsborough County extended its state of local emergency due to dengue fever.
- Oct 3, 2026Statewide total reached 296 for the year, the largest outbreak in the United States in decades.
- Oct 5, 2026Broward County reported its first confirmed human dengue case.
- Oct 8, 2026Florida Department of Health confirmed 296 locally acquired dengue cases in 2026, with nearly 88% in Hillsborough County; Pinellas County extended its state of emergency until Oct. 15.
- Oct 9, 2026Florida reported 44 new locally acquired dengue cases in one week; Tampa sent workers door-to-door in five neighborhoods with reported cases.
- Oct 11, 2026After heavy rain in the Tampa Bay area, mosquito control teams ramped up efforts to prevent standing water from fueling a larger outbreak.
- Oct 13, 2026Orange County Mosquito Control prepared for aerial spraying as two new locally acquired cases were identified in Apopka, bringing Central Florida's total to five.
Who’s saying what
- Expert
- Beth McGraw, Penn State biology professor, said Florida's outbreak is the biggest since the 1930s, driven by a long wet summer and insecticide resistance, and that local mosquitoes are now transmitting dengue in regions where it was previously unseen.
- Expert
- Natalie Dean, Emory University biostatistics professor, noted dengue is not endemic to the U.S. and that this outbreak is notable for its size, with evidence of local transmission in several Florida counties.
- Expert
- Cameron Wolfe, Duke University infectious diseases specialist, said the case concentration is unprecedented in his memory and warned the true number of infections may be underestimated because mild cases go untested and reporting lags.
- Official
- Dr. Carla Fry, Hillsborough County's health officer, said officials have not seen the decline in the epidemic curve needed to establish that transmission is slowing, describing case activity as relatively steady.
- Official
- Steve Harrison, Orange County Mosquito Control Manager, said aerial spraying aims to reduce the Aedes aegypti population to interrupt the transmission cycle and protect residents.
Still unverified
Health officials are investigating two additional suspected dengue cases in Central Florida. Public health specialists worry the true number of infections may be greater than reported. Hillsborough County DOH told county commissioners the case numbers are actually higher than what's being reported because some lab results are still being processed.