New Disease Spreads in Florida, Emergencies Declared in Three Counties
Three counties in Florida have declared states of emergency over an outbreak of dengue fever.
Pasco County, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County each said in press releases that the spread of the disease prompted the emergencies, according to a Tuesday report from Fox News.
Across six Florida counties, a total of 190 locally acquired dengue fever cases have been confirmed, per the Florida Department of Health.
Some 170 of the cases were in Hillsborough County, which is home to Tampa, Florida.
There were also seven cases each in Miami-Dade and Pinellas counties, three in Orange County, two in Pasco County, and one in Palm Beach County.
Pinellas County has extended the State of Local Emergency for the mosquito-borne spread of dengue fever until Oct. 8. https://t.co/GAp3DFdmv6 pic.twitter.com/JEhOiFubWF
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) October 1, 2026
The climate of Florida makes it especially susceptible to mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever.
An entomologist representative at the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science and Family Health described in a statement to Fox News that “the Aedes mosquitoes that can transmit dengue are active during the day and thrive in warm, humid environments like those found in Florida.”
“As dengue cases continue to be reported in the Tampa area, taking steps to help prevent mosquito bites is especially important,” the representative added.
“Staying aware of local mosquito activity and consistently protecting against bites are important steps people can take to help reduce their risk.”
Florida Mosquito Control Association officials are sending crews to conduct aerial and ground treatments in areas with potential outbreaks.
They are also examining possible mosquito breeding sites on private property.
Because mosquitoes breed in standing water, the Florida Mosquito Control Association is asking residents to empty or cover such water on their land.
The particular type of mosquito spreading dengue fever especially prefers containers like buckets, tires, discarded toys, and planters.
Mayo Clinic says that dengue fever “is an illness from mosquito bites that happen in tropical and subtropical areas of the world.”
The fever causes a fever and flu-like symptoms, while a more serious form can cause “bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and death.”
The disease is most common in Southeast Asia, the western Pacific islands, Latin America, and Africa.
But Europe and the United States have seen dengue fever spread to their nations more recently.
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