Florida counties declare Dengue fever emergency

Three Florida counties have declared states of emergency as a growing outbreak of dengue has infected hundreds across the state this year.

Hillsborough and Pinellas counties declared states of emergency Thursday, one day after neighboring Pasco County did the same, as officials in the state’s west-central region ramps up efforts to control mosquito populations and curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

Florida has reported 392 dengue cases among residents this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including locally acquired infections and cases linked to travel. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa and has emerged as the center of the state’s outbreak, has reported 177 cases among residents – a rise a county spokesperson described as “wildly unusual.”

The outbreak has also caused at least one death. Florida health officials confirmed that Gay Small, an 80-year-old Tampa woman, was the first known person to die of dengue in the state this year. She died Sept. 4 after contracting dengue from a mosquito bite near her home, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Historically, most dengue cases in Florida have been contracted during travel abroad, but the state has seen an unusual surge in locally acquired infections since July.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/27/florida-counties-declare-emergency-over-wildly-unu/