{
  "id": 12844218,
  "title": "Why are dengue cases surging in Florida this year? An 'unlucky' combination of factors, experts say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/why-are-dengue-cases-surging-in-florida-this-year-an-unlucky",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-08T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/why-are-dengue-cases-surging-in-florida-this-year-an-unlucky-combination-of-factors-experts-say"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dengue fever cases are on the rise in Florida, prompting several counties to declare emergencies. This year, there have been 497 reported cases, with 252 (about 51%) occurring locally rather than being brought in by travelers. Florida reported its first dengue-related death in nearly a century back in early September. Prior to recent years, most Florida dengue cases stemmed from global travel.\n\nCaroline Waddell, a public health researcher at the University of Florida, explained to Live Science that while the number of travel-related cases is not unusually high, locally-acquired cases are more than five times higher than in any of the previous four years. Experts attribute this unusual surge to a combination of factors.\n\nDengue fever is caused by the Orthoflavivirus Denguei virus, which mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus transmit to humans. These mosquitoes pick up the virus from infected people and spread it to others through their bites. There is no specific treatment, so care focuses on managing symptoms.\n\nExperts say global warming has expanded the range of these mosquitoes, exposing more people to potential bites. International travel has also contributed to rising case counts, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to increased global travel. Florida has seen a significant increase in dengue cases in recent years, with nearly 3,800 cases reported in 2024, a 300% increase from the previous decade.\n\nIn Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, there have been 223 of the state's 252 locally-acquired cases this year, and the one dengue-related death occurred here. This is unusual, as this region typically sees only a few sporadic cases. Mosquito traps have detected 20 pools of mosquitoes testing positive for dengue across seven counties, 19 of which were from the Tampa area. This is rare, as dengue is not endemic to Florida.",
  "summary": "Dengue fever infections are booming in Florida this year, with more local cases than usual and the state's first dengue-related death in nearly a century. Why?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}