Florida Faces Largest Dengue Outbreak in Decades, Spurring Emergency Measures

Florida's dengue outbreak hits 252 local cases, prompting emergency declarations and mosquito control efforts.

October 4, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Tampa, Florida — Florida is confronting its most significant dengue outbreak in recent decades, with 252 locally acquired cases reported by late September, marking one of the highest totals in the continental U.S. in several decades.

The majority of these infections have been concentrated in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, where authorities are intensifying mosquito control operations. The state has also recorded 245 travel-related dengue cases this year, with at least 13 of the local cases involving individuals who had recently traveled abroad.

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In response to the surge, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties have declared states of emergency, implementing measures to reduce mosquito populations and eliminate breeding sites. This outbreak has already exceeded the previous annual high of nearly 200 cases set in 2023, making it the largest single-year dengue outbreak in a U.S. state since the 1940s, according to available data.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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