Florida confirms a death from dengue as the state struggles with one of its worst recent outbreaks

Florida has reported its first death from dengue fever in decades as the state battles one of its worst recent outbreaks, according to the Florida Department of Health. The elderly woman, who died on September 4, was one of over 130 locally acquired dengue cases reported so far this year in Hillsborough County, which typically sees only a few cases annually.

This surge is attributed to recent weather conditions that allowed the virus-spreading mosquitoes to multiply. While most reported dengue cases in the U.S. have been in travelers infected abroad, cases have been increasingly reported in the continental U.S. since 2009. In 2023, Florida reported nearly 200 cases, making it the state's largest number since 1945.

Symptoms of dengue include headache, fever, and flu-like illness, with severe cases leading to bleeding, shock, and death. However, many infected people show no symptoms, potentially undercounting the true number of infections. The current outbreak is centered near Tampa, where mosquito control efforts, including spraying and property inspections for breeding sites, are ongoing.

Despite a decline in recent mosquito testing, experts warn that the threat of dengue in Florida remains, potentially becoming the "new normal" due to the region's conducive environment for the disease-spreading mosquitoes.