Florida reports 497 dengue cases and first dengue-related death in nearly a century — Live Science
In the U.S. state of Florida, 497 cases of dengue fever have been recorded this year. Of these, 252 cases, or about 51%, were acquired locally rather than imported through travel. In early September, the Florida Department of Health confirmed a dengue-related death of a woman. This is the first known death linked to the infection in the state in nearly a century, Live Science reports.
Cluster near Tampa
Most local cases were recorded in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa: 223 of the 252 locally acquired cases were reported there. Usually, only isolated dengue cases are recorded in this region. Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties declared local states of emergency over the spread of the infection.
The number of travel-related cases is not unusual: 245 were recorded. At the same time, the number of local infections is more than five times higher than the figures for this period in any of the previous four years.
This year, 20 pooled mosquito samples that tested positive for the dengue virus were identified in seven Florida counties. Nineteen of them were collected in the Greater Tampa area. By comparison, four such samples tested positive in the state in 2025, and one in 2023.
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Factors behind the spread
Dengue is transmitted through the bites of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and does not spread directly from person to person. Mosquitoes can become infected with the virus after biting an infected person and then transmit it to other people.
Scientists suggest that the situation is being influenced by a combination of factors, including climate change and the periodic importation of the virus by travelers. Rising temperatures expand the mosquitoes’ range and accelerate their life cycle and virus reproduction. About 75% of dengue infections may be asymptomatic, allowing the virus to circulate unnoticed in a community for some time.
Dengue symptoms may include fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. Severe cases may involve abdominal pain, vomiting, difficulty breathing and bleeding. There is no specific treatment for dengue, and medical care is aimed at controlling symptoms and supporting vital functions.
