Dengue fever outbreak prompts Florida counties to declare state of emergency
Summary
Several counties in Florida have declared local states of emergency due to increasing dengue fever cases, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Health officials are taking urgent steps like pesticide use and public education to control the outbreak and protect residents.Key Facts
- Hillsborough County declared a state of emergency on September 24 after confirming 134 dengue cases.
- Dengue fever is spread by mosquito bites, mainly from Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species.
- Other Florida counties, Pasco and Pinellas, have also declared similar emergencies due to dengue.
- Symptoms include fever, headache, eye pain, muscle and joint pain, and sometimes bleeding or gastrointestinal issues.
- Dengue cases in Florida include both locally transmitted and travel-linked infections, with hundreds reported in 2026.
- The state of emergency helps counties access emergency funds and resources to combat the mosquito spread.
- In 2023, California reported its first local cases of dengue, showing the disease is spreading in the US.
- Scientists link the spread of dengue-carrying mosquitoes to climate change and warming temperatures.
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