Cases of locally acquired Dengue fever have set yet another record in Florida.
The Florida Department of Health has tracked 368 cases of locally acquired illness across eight counties so far this year — topping the state’s previous record of 199 set in 2023. The department’s latest weekly report found 72 cases of locally acquired dengue were reported from Oct. 4 through 10, up from 44 cases the week before.
The outbreak appears to be the largest in several decades in the continental U.S. Ninety-five percent of this year’s cases are centered in Tampa Bay’s Hillsborough County.
Dengue Fever is a virus that causes high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. It is not contagious between humans but rather is spread between people by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitos.
Dengue cases aren’t unheard of in Florida. But they are generally seen in individuals who have recently traveled outside of the continental U.S., rather than transmitted locally. And because between 40 and 80% of people infected with Dengue are asymptomatic, the number of locally acquired cases in Florida are likely much higher than reported.
A big way to help limit the spread of the disease, experts say, is to limit mosquito breeding.
Individuals in Florida, or anywhere where mosquitos are out of control, should check for standing water on their properties at least once a week and dump it out. Doing so will kill any developing larvae. To limit bites from existing mosquitos, wear mosquito repellent and protective clothing.
Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.
Sign up for Here’s The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews
X: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newshour/