Florida is battling its largest locally transmitted dengue outbreak in decades, raising new concerns about the growing reach of mosquito borne diseases in the United States.
More than 250 locally acquired dengue cases have been recorded in Florida in 2026, according to reporting by The Associated Press, with most infections concentrated around Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa.
The number has already surpassed Florida’s previous recent record of nearly 200 locally acquired cases in 2023.
One death has also been reported this year. The victim was an elderly woman in the Tampa area, according to AP.
Dengue is transmitted primarily through infected Aedes mosquitoes. It can cause high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, nausea and rashes.
The intense muscle and joint pain associated with some infections has earned dengue the nickname “breakbone fever.”
Most people recover, but some infections can develop into severe dengue, which can cause bleeding, organ damage and potentially life threatening complications.
Why Florida is seeing more dengue
Health experts point to several factors.
International travel can introduce the virus when infected travellers return from regions where dengue is widespread. Local mosquitoes can then bite infected people and transmit the virus to others.
Warmer temperatures and changing rainfall patterns can also create conditions that allow mosquito populations to survive and reproduce for longer periods.
The Florida outbreak is particularly concerning because most people in the Tampa area have little or no previous immunity to dengue.
There are four major dengue virus types, meaning infection with one does not provide complete protection against the others.
What residents can do
Local authorities have intensified mosquito control efforts, including spraying and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes reproduce.
Residents can also reduce their risk by using insect repellent, wearing clothing that covers exposed skin and removing standing water from containers around homes.
Even relatively small amounts of stagnant water can become mosquito breeding sites.
The outbreak does not mean everyone in Florida faces the same level of risk. Most cases remain concentrated in specific areas, and health officials continue to monitor local transmission.
But the scale of the 2026 outbreak is another indication that dengue is no longer only a concern for Americans travelling to tropical countries.
For some communities, the virus is increasingly becoming a threat much closer to home.
