Florida has confirmed 485 locally acquired dengue fever cases so far this year, marking the state’s largest outbreak in decades, and the Tampa Bay area is at the center of it. According to the Florida Department of Health, roughly 95% of all locally acquired cases statewide have occurred in the Tampa Bay region.
Between Oct. 18 and Oct. 24 alone, state surveillance recorded 60 new infections. The sustained spread led Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties to declare local states of emergency in late September, a step that lets officials speed up mosquito-control purchasing and spraying and seek reimbursement from state and federal sources. Hillsborough County has since extended its emergency declaration as transmission continues.
These numbers reflect only locally acquired infections, meaning people who caught dengue within Florida. The state has also logged more than 300 separate travel-associated dengue cases this year, in which residents were infected while traveling elsewhere.
How Mosquito Control Is Responding
The Florida Mosquito Control Association said abatement crews are ramping up efforts across the affected counties, including targeted ground spraying, aerial applications and inspections of individual properties where mosquito activity is suspected.
Dengue spreads through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus can cause fever, severe muscle and joint pain, nausea and rash, and in severe cases can lead to dangerous complications or death.
Unlike many mosquitoes that bite primarily at dawn and dusk, Aedes mosquitoes feed aggressively during the day and favor warm, humid residential settings — conditions common throughout the Tampa Bay area.
“The Aedes mosquitoes that can transmit dengue are active during the day and thrive in warm, humid environments like those found in Florida,” an entomologist spokesperson at the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science and Family Health told Fox News Digital. “Staying aware of local mosquito activity and consistently protecting against bites are important steps people can take to help reduce their risk.”
What Residents Can Do
Public health officials note that Aedes mosquitoes are “container breeders” that need as little as a tablespoon of standing water to lay eggs. Residents in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties are urged to check their yards weekly and drain or cover items that collect water, including:
- Birdbaths
- Gutters
- Planters
- Discarded tires
- Any other outdoor containers that hold water
Most people infected with dengue have mild symptoms or none at all, and typically recover within two weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic. When symptoms appear, they usually show up four to 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. However, severe dengue can worsen quickly, within 24 to 48 hours after an initial fever subsides.
Warning signs of severe illness include persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, bleeding from the mouth or nose, and extreme lethargy. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek emergency medical care right away.
