Florida reported 44 new locally acquired cases of dengue fever in one week, according to the latest update from the Florida Department of Health. The disease is also called breakbone fever, due to the pain it causes.
That brings the statewide total to 296 for the year as of Oct. 3, the largest outbreak in the United States in decades. The previous highest number of Florida cases in recent memory was 199 in 2023. In 2025, Florida reported 62 cases for the year.
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The bulk of the cases have been in Hillsborough County, which has 259 confirmed cases, while other locally acquired cases have been reported in seven other counties. Broward County reported its first confirmed human dengue case on Oct. 5.
One death was confirmed
in Hillsborough County, identified as 80-year-old Gay Small, who died of “dengue infection” along with septic shock and multi-organ failure, according to a death certificate.
The previous largest outbreak was in Hawaii's Big Island, where264 local cases were reported in the six months between September 2015 and March 2016. Florida's surge began three months ago.
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Three Tampa Bay-area counties — Pasco, Hillsborough, and Pinellas — have declared states of emergency to expedite mosquito control operations and cut through paperwork for emergency response. Currently, 16 counties are under either a mosquito-borne illness advisory or mosquito-borne illness alert.
West Nile virus and chikungunya — which are also transmitted by mosquitoes — have also been reported in Florida this year, but in far fewer numbers than dengue. Another human case of West Nile was reported in Holmes County in the period of Sept. 27 - Oct. 3, bringing the state total to seven for the year. No new chikungunya cases were reported.
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There have also been 262 dengue cases associated with international travel reported in Florida this year, 215 of which were from travel from Cuba, according to the FDOH. Most of the cases were reported in Miami-Dade County. Although these cases were not locally acquired, mosquitoes that bite infected people in the state can transmit the disease to others.
Here's what you should know about mosquito-borne illnesses in Florida, symptoms to watch for, and how best to prevent mosquito bites, including advice from the Florida Department of Health.
Dengue still surging in Florida. See counties reporting mosquito-borne illnesses
According to the Florida Department of Health, as of Oct. 3, there have been 296 cases of locally acquired cases of denguereported in seven counties, which is up from 252 reported Oct. 1.
There have also been seven positive samples of West Nile virus and one case of chikungunya.
- Dengue: 296 cases
- 259 in Hillsborough County
- 20 in Pinellas County
- 8 in Miami-Dade County
- 3 in Orange County
- 3 in Pasco County
- 1 in Broward County
- 1 in Palm Beach County
- 1 in Polk County
- West Nile: 7 cases
- 2 in Alachua County
- 2 in Duval County (1 an asymptomatic blood donor)
- 1 in Holmes County
- 1 in Leon (asymptomatic blood donor)
- 1 in Walton County
- Chikungunya: 1 case
- 1 in Miami-Dade County
What's causing the Florida outbreak of dengue fever?
One reason for the surge in dengue cases is due to a comibation of "climatic and human factors that create ideal conditions" for the types of mosquitoes that spread dengue, West Nile and the chikungunya viruses, said Eva Buckner, associate professor and extension specialist with the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory via email Sept. 23.
Those factors include warmer temperatures, increased rainfall and standing water, and human travel from other countries with outbreaks.
Health data show that 215 of the 262 Florida cases acquired from outside the country were people who had recently traveled from Cuba. Most of the cases were DENV-2, one of the disease's four serotypes and the serotype behind Cuba's current epidemic, where fuel shortages are hampering fumigation efforts, according to Forbes.
16 mosquito-borne illness alerts, advisories issued for these Florida counties
A mosquito-borne illness advisory has been issued for the following counties:
- Brevard
- Broward
- Holmes
- Leon
- Manatee
- Martin
- Palm Beach
- Polk
- Walton
A mosquito-borne illness alert has been issued for the following counties:
- Alachua
- Duval
- Hillsborough
- Miami-Dade
- Orange
- Pasco
- Pinellas
"A mosquito-borne illness advisory means the public should take precautions to reduce mosquito bites due to factors indicating local disease such as positive sentinels, very few presumptive or positive human cases, or other justifications," according to Sarasota County.
"A mosquito-borne illness alert means that there has been heightened disease activity, a significant increase in vector (disease capable) mosquito populations, or an increase in locally-transmitted human cases.
"Residents should continue to take precautions, but exercise additional caution in preventing mosquito bites."
All Florida residents could take precautions to avoid mosquito-borne illnesses
"Residents throughout the state should continue to take precautions from mosquito-borne illnesses by appropriately applying bug spray, avoiding areas with high mosquito populations, and wearing long pants and shirts when possible — especially during sunrise and sunset when mosquitos are most active," said Isabella White, FDOH press secretary via email Sept. 23.
White said FDOH "continues to coordinate with local mosquito control partners to support surveillance and targeted response efforts in affected areas. These efforts help reduce mosquito populations, limit the risk of disease transmission, and protect residents across Florida."
What are symptoms of dengue, breakbone fever?
"Dengue fever can be a painful, debilitating disease but is rarely fatal," the Florida Department of Health said. Symptomsappear three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and include:
- sudden onset of fever
- severe headache
- eye pain
- muscle and joint pain (giving the disease the nickname “breakbone fever”)
- bleeding
- Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea may also be present in some cases.
"Dengue fever symptoms usually last four to seven days. The disease is often diagnosed incorrectly because the symptoms are similar to influenza and other viruses," the CDC said.
"Around one out of every 20 people infected by a dengue virus develops severe dengue, a life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention," according to YaleMedicine.
Why is dengue called 'breakbone fever?'
Dengue is sometimes called “breakbone fever” because, in addition to fever, "it can cause severe aches and pains, especially in the legs, joints, and back," according to YaleMedicine.
Dengue does not actually cause bones to break, according to YaleMedicine.
Is dengue contagious?
Dengue is spread by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected with dengue after biting a person with the virus. Those infected mosquitoes then spread the virus to other people through bites.
The Centers for Disease Control said a woman infected with the dengue virus during pregnancy could pass the virus to her fetus, causing death to the fetus, low birth weight, or premature birth.
Can dengue be treated?
"While there is no cure for dengue and there are no specific medications for the condition, getting adequate hydration and plenty of rest, and taking acetaminophen for pain and fever can help alleviate symptoms while the body’s immune system fights the virus," according to YaleMedicine.
"In most cases, people recover from dengue within a week. For those with severe dengue, treatment by health care professionals can significantly lower the risk of death."
What are the best mosquito repellents to use?
According to the Florida Department of Health, repellentswith the following active ingredients provide the best protection:
- DEET
- Picaridin
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus
- Para-menthane-diol
- 2-undecanone, a plant-derived ingredient
'Drain and cover' helps keep mosquitoes away
The FDOH offered this advice to help keep mosquitoes away from your Florida home:
Drain
- Drain water from garbage cans, old tires, pool covers, or any other containers where water collects.
- Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls at least once or twice a week.
- Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water.
- Maintain swimming pools in good condition and ensure they are appropriately chlorinated.
- Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.
Cover
- If you must be outside when mosquitoes are active, cover up.
- Apply mosquito repellent to exposed skin and clothing.
- Use mosquito netting to protect children younger than 2 months old.
C.A. Bridges and Cheryl McCloud are journalists for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://heraldtribune.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida dengue cases surge to 296, largest US outbreak in decades
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