Health officials in Central Florida are issuing warnings as locally acquired cases of dengue fever continue to spread across the region. According to the Florida Department of Health, additional locally-acquired cases have been confirmed this month in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. The first locally-acquired case for Citrus County was also announced on Saturday.
Tracking Local Outbreaks
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that a total of 108 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed in Florida so far this year. Of those infections, 85 were travel-associated, while 23 were acquired locally within the state. Hillsborough County alone accounts for 15 of these local transmissions.
Nationwide, more than 1,500 cases have been reported in 2026 according to CDC figures. While the majority of infections occur in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and American Samoa, a small number of dengue cases have also been reported across numerous states including Arizona, California, Georgia, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin, as this newspaper reported in Central Florida Heat Wave Continues as Temperatures Soar Past Averages.
Understanding Symptoms
Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. Transmission is common in tropical and subtropical areas globally, including Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. According to the Florida Department of Health, symptoms can resemble a flu-like illness characterized by severe muscle aches, joint pain, fever, and sometimes a rash, as reported by Florida Doctors Warn of Rising Injury Risks for Fall Student Athletes.
Respiratory symptoms are usually absent with this virus. Symptoms typically appear within 15 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito and last between two to seven days. Most people recover after about a week, and the disease is not contagious among humans, confirmed by Civic Coast.
Prevention Measures
Florida health officials are encouraging the public to take specific precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Residents are advised to wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors. Applying insect repellents registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exposed skin and clothing is also recommended.
When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective for all groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women. Additionally, controlling mosquitoes inside and outside homes involves repairing damaged screening on windows, doors, porches, and patios. Residents should drain water from discarded tires, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flowerpots, or any other containers where sprinkler or rainwater has collected.
The Florida Department of Health is conducting statewide surveillance for other mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, and chikungunya. Residents are encouraged to report dead birds to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as part of these ongoing monitoring efforts.
