Florida Dengue Outbreak Keeps Spreading a Month After Emergency Declarations, With Tampa Area at the Center

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 24 (TodayViralUSA) — Florida’s dengue outbreak is still growing a month after three Tampa Bay counties declared local emergencies, with infections spreading to new parts of the state and officials extending emergency orders for a fourth time.

Florida’s total reported dengue cases have nearly doubled since September, from 392 to 721, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by The Washington Post. The outbreak remains centered on Hillsborough County, home to Tampa.

Where the cases are

The Florida Department of Health’s Oct. 22 report counted 425 locally acquired dengue cases statewide so far in 2026, separate from cases picked up while traveling abroad. Hillsborough accounts for 346 of them, or about 80%, followed by Pinellas County with 51, Miami-Dade with nine and Orange County with eight, according to figures reported by WTSP and WFLA. Citrus, Manatee and Brevard counties recorded their first local cases since mid-October.

The state has confirmed one dengue-related death, in Hillsborough County on Sept. 18. Health officials say 20 mosquito pools have tested positive for the virus across 11 Florida counties.

Emergency orders extended

Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties declared states of local emergency in late September. Hillsborough and Pinellas have now extended their orders through at least Oct. 29, a step that lets officials speed up mosquito-control spending and positions them for possible federal reimbursement. Hillsborough has spent around $6 million on mosquito control this year, WTSP reported, and both counties have brought in Lee County crews for aerial spraying.

Pinellas County said high winds had delayed its first aerial larvicide treatments, which are now expected no earlier than the middle of next week. The county is also waiving disposal fees for up to four household tires through Oct. 30, since discarded tires are a common breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Signs of a slowdown

There are tentative signs the pace is easing. Hillsborough County Mosquito Control told WFLA that the county logged 36 new cases in the most recent week, down from 79 the week before, and said cooler weather could help crews push numbers down further. Officials noted, however, that cases are beginning to appear east of central Tampa, toward Brandon.

What residents can do

Dengue spreads through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, not from person to person. Health officials urge residents to empty standing water around homes at least weekly, use EPA-registered insect repellent, wear long sleeves outdoors and keep window screens in good repair. Anyone who develops a sudden fever with severe headache, eye pain, muscle or joint pain, or a rash should seek medical care.