TL;DR
Get workout gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Florida has reported more than 250 locally acquired dengue cases this year, with most in Hillsborough County near Tampa. Available state records and published research suggest it is the largest calendar-year total in a U.S. state since at least the 1940s, though federal officials say their historical outbreak data are limited.
Florida health officials have reported more than 250 locally acquired dengue cases this year, most of them in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa. Available state and medical records suggest the total is the highest for a U.S. state in a calendar year since at least the 1940s, although federal officials caution that historical outbreak data are limited.
The outbreak is concentrated in the Tampa area, where local authorities have declared emergencies and crews are spraying for mosquitoes and checking properties for standing water. The tally reported this week puts Florida’s locally acquired cases above the state’s previous annual high: just under 200 in 2023. It is also approaching the 264 locally acquired cases reported in Hawaii over six months in 2015-2016, described in the source report as the largest state outbreak since dengue transmission reappeared in the continental United States outside the Texas-Mexico border.
As of the previous week, Florida had recorded 252 locally acquired cases and 245 travel-associated cases, according to the state figures cited in the report. At least 13 cases in Hillsborough County were diagnosed in travelers. The locally acquired count means people were infected in Florida; it does not by itself establish where or how transmission began.
Dengue is a virus spread by mosquitoes. Many infected people have no symptoms, while others develop fever, flu-like illness and severe aches. Serious cases can involve bleeding, shock or death. Florida has reported one dengue death this year: an elderly Tampa woman who died Sept. 4, according to the report. Globally, more than 2.2 million infections and nearly 1,200 deaths had been reported this year, while the CDC tally for the United States was nearly 1,900 locally acquired cases, most in Puerto Rico.
Tampa Faces Growing Local Transmission
The case total shows that dengue is not limited to infections acquired during international travel in Florida. This year, the state’s locally acquired tally has slightly exceeded its travel-associated count, while most cases have been reported in the Tampa area rather than the Miami region, where Florida cases are more commonly concentrated.
That changes the immediate public-health concern for residents: people can be exposed where they live, work or spend time outdoors, even if they have not traveled. Local mosquito-control measures and personal precautions therefore matter alongside tracking cases. The outbreak also tests how effectively state and local agencies can contain transmission as mosquito populations persist through warm weather.
mosquito repellent for outdoor use
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Florida Reached This Record
For decades, most dengue infections identified in the continental United States were linked to international travel; locally acquired cases were also reported in Puerto Rico, which regularly experiences much larger totals than any U.S. state. The source report says Key West recorded the first continental U.S. cases outside the Texas-Mexico border since 1945 in 2009-2010. Florida has since often had the most locally transmitted cases among the 50 states.
The Tampa-area outbreak came to public attention in July. Tulane University dengue expert Dawn Wesson told MedPage Today that Florida’s travel links to Puerto Rico and other places where dengue circulates can contribute to local introductions. She said it is difficult to identify why the Tampa area has seen a surge this year and suggested travel patterns may be one factor. The report also notes that dengue-carrying mosquitoes are found in Florida and other hot U.S. locations, and that experts say their geographic range has been expanding in a warming climate.
Dengue has four virus types. Infection with one type produces lasting antibodies to that type, but a later infection with a different type can carry a risk of more severe disease. That interaction has complicated vaccine development, according to the report. Wesson said most Tampa-area residents have no prior immunity to any dengue type.
“There’s a good chance that this is the new normal.”
— Dawn Wesson, Tulane University dengue expert, as quoted by MedPage Today
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Why Tampa’s Case Count Rose
The reason for the unusually high number of cases around Tampa is not established. Wesson said the surge may be partly related to travel patterns, but the report describes that as a possibility rather than a confirmed cause. The figures also show travel-associated cases in Florida, so the presence of local transmission does not explain how each infection entered the area.
The historical comparison has limits: federal health officials say their dengue outbreak data are limited, and the claim that Florida’s total is the largest state calendar-year count since at least the 1940s relies on available state health department information and medical journals. The number of cases that will ultimately be reported, how long transmission will continue, and whether additional deaths will occur remain unknown. Florida officials have not asked CDC investigators to come to the state, according to the agency spokesman cited in the report.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Mosquito Control and Case Tracking
Local crews are continuing mosquito-control work around Tampa, including spraying and searching for places where standing water can support breeding. The state and local authorities will need to keep monitoring reported infections to determine whether the outbreak is slowing or spreading to additional areas.
Residents in affected areas can reduce exposure by using EPA-registered repellents such as those containing DEET, wearing loose-fitting long sleeves and pants, using screens or air conditioning, and removing pooled water from their properties. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes can bite during the day, so protection should not be limited to nighttime. The available report does not give a date for when officials expect the outbreak to end or when a final annual count will be available.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
How many locally acquired dengue cases has Florida reported?
State figures cited in the report put Florida’s locally acquired total at more than 250 this year, including 252 as of the previous week. Most cases were in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa.
Is this the largest dengue outbreak in the continental United States?
Available state records and medical journals suggest it is the largest calendar-year dengue total for a U.S. state since at least the 1940s. Federal officials say their historical data are limited, so the comparison is qualified. Puerto Rico is not part of the continental United States and regularly reports much higher case totals than any state.
How are health officials responding around Tampa?
Local authorities have declared emergencies, and crews are spraying for mosquitoes and checking properties for standing water. The CDC has provided $800,000 in assistance to Florida’s health department, but its spokesman said state officials had not requested that CDC disease investigators come to the state.
How can people in affected areas reduce their risk?
Experts cited in the report recommend EPA-registered insect repellent, long sleeves and pants, screens or air conditioning, and removing pooled water where mosquitoes can breed. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes can bite during the day, so precautions are relevant beyond evening hours.
Source: rss
Evergreen bestsellers Picks
bestsellers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
