Florida Dengue Cases Reach 485 in Decades-High Outbreak

Florida’s locally acquired dengue cases have climbed to 485, marking the state’s largest outbreak in decades. The Florida Department of Health recorded 60 additional infections between October 18 and 24. Around 95% of the locally acquired cases have been in the Tampa Bay region. More than 300 other cases this year were linked to travel.

Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties declared emergencies in late September. The declarations allow quicker purchases and spraying, as well as claims seeking state and federal cost recovery. The county has prolonged its local emergency while transmission continues.

Mosquito control teams are increasing ground and aerial spraying and inspecting some properties. Dengue spreads mainly through bites from infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. These mosquitoes can bite during the day and breed in small amounts of standing water, including in outdoor containers.

Health officials advise residents to check yards weekly and empty or cover items that collect water, such as planters, birdbaths and discarded tires. They also recommend EPA-registered repellents, covering exposed skin and applying sunscreen before insect repellent.

Dengue can cause fever, muscle and joint pain, nausea and rash. Many infections are mild or produce no symptoms, but severe illness can develop quickly. Warning signs include persistent vomiting, intense abdominal pain, breathing difficulty, bleeding from mucous membranes and extreme lethargy; people with these symptoms should seek emergency care. Symptoms generally begin four to 10 days after an infectious bite, and most people recover within two weeks.