Florida Boosts Dengue Spraying and Surveillance as 41 Local Cases Spread Across 4 Counties
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Florida Boosts Dengue Spraying and Surveillance as 41 Local Cases Spread Across 4 Counties
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Summary
41 locally acquired dengue cases had been recorded statewide by Sept. 1, including 33 in Tampa Bay, and Florida mosquito-control agencies are expanding surveillance, property inspections and aerial and ground spraying.
30 of those cases were in Hillsborough County, with seven in Miami-Dade, three in Pinellas and one in Palm Beach, as officials warn infections are likely to rise in coming weeks.
Hillsborough and Pinellas are under mosquito-borne illness alerts, and local officials say daily travel across Tampa Bay can help the virus spread when mosquitoes bite infected people and then others nearby.
Florida led U.S. states in 2024 with 1,044 dengue cases and 85 locally acquired infections across 10 counties, part of a record 3,798 cases nationwide reported by the CDC.
Residents are being urged to remove standing water and follow the 'three Ds'—dress, defend and dump—while seeking urgent care for severe warning signs such as stomach pain, repeated vomiting or unusual bleeding.