# Florida declares emergency as dengue cases surge locally

> Hillsborough County in Florida has declared a state of emergency over a growing dengue outbreak, with around 485 cases reported statewide this year and one death.
- Title: Florida declares emergency as dengue cases surge locally
- Summary: Hillsborough County in Florida has declared a state of emergency over a growing dengue outbreak, with around 485 cases reported statewide this year and one…
- Keywords: dengue, florida, hillsborough county, mosquitoes, aedes aegypti, public health, outbreak, declares, emergency, cases, surge, locally
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/02/what-to-know-about-dengue-outbreak-florida-mosquito
- Author: Veronique Greenwood
- Published: 2026-10-02T15:30:28.173+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: dengue, florida, hillsborough county, mosquitoes, aedes aegypti, public health, outbreak
## Florida declares dengue emergency
Hillsborough County in Florida, which includes Tampa, declared a state of emergency this week linked to a growing number of dengue cases. Around four hundred eighty five cases have been reported statewide so far this year.
## One death reported in outbreak
One person in Florida has died in the dengue outbreak so far this year, according to the state's department of health. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause serious flu-like illness.
## Local spread marks a shift
This outbreak is different because it involves the most locally acquired cases Florida has seen, says Michael Johansson, an epidemiologist at Northeastern University. Usually dengue cases in Florida come from travelers returning from infected areas.

> This is the most locally acquired cases that we've seen in the state.
## What dengue is and how it spreads
Dengue is caused by viruses carried by mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti. Symptoms occur five to seven days after being bitten and can include painful body aches and fever lasting up to ten days. Up to four hundred million people worldwide are affected annually.
## Second infection is more dangerous
One distinctive feature of dengue is that a second infection is likely to be much worse than the first. A second infection can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can involve bleeding and a drop in blood pressure, and is sometimes fatal.
## Vaccine complications and availability
The danger of second infections complicated dengue vaccination efforts. In two thousand seventeen, Sanofi Pasteur alerted the Philippines that serious infections might occur in vaccinated people. No dengue vaccine is currently available in the U.S. after Dengvaxia was discontinued in two thousand twenty five due to low demand.
## How to protect yourself from dengue
There is no cure for dengue; only symptom treatments exist. Avoid mosquito bites by keeping windows closed or using screens, covering skin with clothing, and using mosquito repellent. Remove containers that collect water, as these mosquitoes breed in small amounts of rainwater.

> These mosquitoes in particular, they can breed in a plastic bag that's collected a little bit of rainwater.
## Key takeaway

Florida declared a state of emergency in Hillsborough County as dengue cases surge locally rather than through travel, marking the most locally acquired infections the state has seen.