Dengue fever surges in Florida as mosquito crews fight back
Locally acquired dengue fever cases in Florida have surged to 73 statewide through Aug. 29, with Hillsborough County alone logging 59 infections—nearly doubling in a week—as Tampa Bay mosquito control crews ramp up aerial spraying, neighborhood fogging and door-to-door breeding-site inspections to slow the outbreak. Health officials say more infections are likely, but residents can still cut transmission by dumping standing water and using repellent.
Key Takeaways
- Florida reported 73 locally acquired dengue fever cases through Aug. 29, including 59 in Hillsborough County.
- Tampa Bay totals jumped from 33 to 65 cases across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties in roughly a week.
- Fourteen Hillsborough mosquito pools tested positive for DENV-2 in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
- Crews are using aerial Bti treatments, ground fogging and door-to-door breeding-site inspections.
- Officials urge the “3 Ds”: dress, defend with repellent, and dump standing water.
For the first time in decades, Tampa Bay is seeing dengue fever outbreaks. Pinellas County has recorded five locally acquired cases this summer, while Hillsborough has become the state’s main hotspot. According to a FOX 13 Tampa Bay report citing Florida Department of Health data, Miami-Dade has seven cases and Palm Beach one.
Why is dengue fever spreading in Tampa Bay now?
Locally acquired cases mean mosquitoes transmitted the virus inside Florida, not during overseas travel. State officials say 71 of 73 statewide cases have been serotyped by PCR, and Bay Area infections in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco were identified as DENV-2.
Hillsborough also reported 14 mosquito pools positive for DENV-2, including four in the latest reporting week. Those pools involved Aedes aegypti, a daytime-biting species that breeds in tiny amounts of standing water around homes. Pinellas County Mosquito Control entomologist Jason Stuck collects and studies Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus samples as officials work overtime to push the outbreak back.
How are mosquito control teams fighting the outbreak?
Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services has run aerial and ground treatments where surveillance detected dengue activity. Pasco County Mosquito Control District joined with specialized aerial help, treating Wellswood, Riverside Heights and East Tampa neighborhoods with Bti, a bacterium that targets mosquito larvae.
Pinellas crews increased ground inspections and daytime fogging, plus door-to-door checks to eliminate breeding sites on private property. Dr. Peter Jiang, president of Hillsborough County Mosquito Management, said mosquito numbers are down but warned against complacency: “We cannot let our guard down. We have to keep the pressure on mosquitos.”
Tools such as PCR serotyping, trap surveillance and targeted aerial larvicide are part of a broader public-health toolkit covered in Future Tech & AI Wonders on BlasterPost.
What should residents do to avoid dengue fever?
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said officials expect more cases and urged action to limit spread. Dr. Carla Fry of the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County called repellent the biggest line of defense and warned that even a teaspoon of clean water in a toy can breed mosquitoes.
Follow the “3 Ds”: dress in long sleeves, pants and closed-toe shoes outdoors; defend with CDC-recommended repellents such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus; and dump or cover standing water in buckets, plant saucers, tires and toys. Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Pinellas remain under mosquito-borne illness alerts; Pasco and Palm Beach are under advisories.
Dengue can cause flu-like illness with fever, severe muscle and joint pain, and sometimes a rash—nicknamed “break-bone fever.” Anyone with symptoms should contact a health care provider and mention possible mosquito exposure.