Florida has reported 524 locally acquired dengue cases in 12 counties, state health data through Oct. 31 show. Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, accounts for 407 of them, and Pinellas has 80.
Weekly additions fell to 39 statewide, the smallest increase since mid-August. Cooler air is slowing the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread dengue, but a UF Health epidemiologist said it takes a hard freeze to kill them. Hillsborough extended its dengue emergency through Nov. 12, and Miami-Dade began nightly spraying after a case in Allapattah.
Why it matters
With no approved US vaccine or specific treatment, sustained local dengue spread would expose millions of Floridians to a painful, sometimes fatal illness.
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Key Indicators
524
Locally acquired dengue cases in Florida, 2026
Reported in 12 counties as of the state's Oct. 31 report, up from 485 a week earlier. The CDC calls it Florida's largest locally acquired outbreak since the 1930s.
407
Local cases in Hillsborough County
Home to Tampa; about 78% of the state total. Added 22 cases in the week ending Oct. 31, its smallest weekly rise since mid-August.
12
Florida counties with local dengue spread
Pinellas has 80 cases. Miami-Dade, Orange, Brevard, Polk, Manatee and Citrus are among the others.
39
New local cases statewide, week ending Oct. 31
Down from 60 the week before. Hillsborough added 22 and Pinellas 13.
382
Travel-associated dengue cases in Florida, 2026
Up from 355 a week earlier. Most are in Miami-Dade.
1
Deaths in the 2026 Florida outbreak
An 80-year-old Tampa woman died Sept. 4, the first person in the Tampa Bay area killed by dengue in nearly a century.
$4.1M
Hillsborough County mosquito control spending
Spent as of Oct. 9; a new purchase order is expected to push costs above $6 million.
721
CDC-reported Florida dengue cases, as of Oct. 23
Includes travel-related infections. The state's later update put local cases at 524 and travel-associated cases at 382.
Miami-Dade Mosquito Control trucks run nightly through the following week after a locally acquired case is confirmed in Allapattah, the county's first of the season.
Helicopters spread larvicide over Hillsborough and Pinellas
Response
Low-flying helicopters spray water mixed with Bti, a soil bacterium that kills mosquito larvae, over parts of both counties.
Hillsborough extends dengue emergency through Nov. 12
Policy
County Administrator Bonnie Wise extends the local state of emergency as mosquito surveillance still finds dengue virus in many neighborhoods. Crews increase air and ground treatments.
October 2026
Statewide dengue total reaches 524 in 12 counties
Public Health
The state's weekly report adds 39 locally acquired cases for Oct. 25-31. Hillsborough has 407 and Pinellas 80; Florida also counts 382 travel-associated cases this year.
Statewide dengue total reaches 485 in 12 counties
Public Health
The state's weekly report adds 60 locally acquired cases for the week ending Oct. 24. Hillsborough has 385 and Pinellas 67; Seminole reports its first two cases. Hillsborough extends its dengue emergency through Nov. 5.
Hillsborough and Pinellas extend dengue emergencies to Oct. 29
Policy
County Administrator Bonnie Wise signs an extension as mosquito surveillance in many neighborhoods shows dengue virus activity. Hillsborough is increasing aerial and ground treatments; Pinellas extends its own order through Oct. 29.
Cooler weather brings a decline in weekly cases
Public Health
Hillsborough adds 36 local cases for the week, down from 79, and statewide additions fall to 57. Mosquito control officials say the main spread remains in central Tampa but cases are moving east toward Brandon.
Statewide dengue total hits 425 in 11 counties
Public Health
The state's arbovirus report for Oct. 11-17 adds 57 locally acquired cases. Hillsborough has 346 and Pinellas 51; Citrus and Manatee report their first cases of the outbreak.
Tampa canvasses five neighborhoods as dengue cases climb
Response
Crews go door-to-door in five neighborhoods where dengue cases have been reported. Hillsborough's state of emergency is extended through Oct. 15.
Hillsborough response costs climb to $4.1M
Response
The county has spent $4.1 million on mosquito management, with a new purchase order expected to push costs above $6 million. Tampa crews have removed 23 tons of illegally dumped tires and monitored 85 locations.
State report shows 296 locally acquired cases across eight counties
Public Health
Hillsborough accounts for 259 cases, about 88% of the state total. Pinellas added seven cases for 20 total. No new mosquito pools were reported in Week 39.
CDC reports 2,100+ US dengue cases
Public Health
CDC data show more than 2,100 dengue cases across the US, including over 480 in Florida. The outbreak is the largest in the continental US in decades.
Hillsborough commissioners asked to approve $848K in emergency purchases
Response
Emergency purchases for mosquito-control products could push the county's response past $1 million. Officials say the epidemic curve has not yet dipped.
Polk County becomes seventh county with local dengue spread
Public Health
Polk County is newly listed with one locally acquired case, bringing the number of Florida counties with local spread to seven.
CDC issues travel alert for three new countries
Public Health
The CDC added three countries to its dengue travel alert list as cases rise in Florida and more than a dozen other states.
AP reports Florida outbreak largest in continental US in decades
Report
More than 250 locally acquired dengue cases tallied so far this year, most in Tampa area.
Lee County sends helicopters and crews to help Hillsborough
Response
Lee County sent helicopters and crews to increase aerial pesticide spraying in Hillsborough County, which has reported 223 cases this year.
Hillsborough County extends state of emergency
Policy
County Administrator Bonnie Wise extends emergency order amid mosquito control push.
Pinellas County extends state of emergency until Oct 8
Policy
Pinellas, with 13 cases, extended its local state of emergency on dengue. Pasco, with 3 cases, is also under a state of emergency.
September 2026
First dengue death confirmed in outbreak
Public Health
An 80-year-old Tampa woman died of dengue on Sept. 4, the outbreak's first fatality and the first dengue death in the Tampa Bay area in nearly a century. The Florida Department of Health confirmed the death to media outlets in September.
July 2026
Tampa-area dengue outbreak first comes to light
Detection
Local dengue transmission in Hillsborough County climbs as health officials take notice.
Scenarios
1
Florida dengue outbreak fades as weather cools
Likely
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: Michael Johansson, epidemiologist at Northeastern University (quoted by Time)
Johansson expects transmission to decline as Florida's temperatures drop in the coming weeks. Past US dengue clusters have faded when mosquito activity falls with cooler conditions. If this holds, new locally acquired cases should slow through the winter and the emergency order can lapse.
2
Outbreak surpasses Hawaii's 2015-16 record of 264 cases
Likely
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: Associated Press analysis, which noted the outbreak is "on the verge" of surpassing Hawaii's count
With more than 250 locally acquired cases already tallied by early October, the outbreak is close to exceeding the 264 cases Hawaii recorded across a six-month span in 2015-16. Continued transmission through October would push Florida past that mark, making it the largest US outbreak since at least the 1940s by case count.
3
Dengue becomes a recurring problem for Florida's Gulf Coast
Possible
Resolves by End of 2027
Discussed by: Entomologist Wesson, quoted by the Associated Press
Wesson told the AP that climate conditions and persistent mosquito populations will likely make local dengue outbreaks more frequent, adding "there's a good chance that this is the new normal." Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are expanding their geographic range as temperatures warm. If local transmission resumes in 2027 outside the usual summer-fall window, dengue would effectively be endemic in the Tampa area.
4
Dengue establishes local transmission in other states
Possible
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: CDC data showing rising cases in more than a dozen states
CDC data show dengue activity rising in more than a dozen states beyond Florida, including New York, Texas, and New Jersey. Most cases are travel-associated, but the Florida outbreak shows how quickly local transmission can develop once the virus is seeded. If Aedes mosquitoes in other warm states pick up the virus, local clusters could emerge elsewhere.
5
Outbreak continues through fall as transmission holds steady
Deadline passed (Nov 1, 2026)
Discussed by: Carla Fry, health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County
Fry said case counts are steady, with new infections reported each day and no dip in the epidemic curve. If transmission continues through October, the outbreak could push past 300 locally acquired cases and strain county mosquito-control budgets already approaching $1 million.
6
Amendment 3 cuts mosquito control funding
Possible
Resolves by Nov 30, 2026
Discussed by: Mosquito control districts, quoted by The Cooldown
Florida ballot measure Amendment 3 could reduce property tax revenue that helps fund mosquito control operations. Districts warn they may have less money for spraying and inspections in future outbreaks if it passes.
7
Weekly dengue cases keep falling through November
Likely
Resolves by Nov 30, 2026
Discussed by: Gabriel Henderson of Hillsborough County Mosquito Control, quoted by WFLA
Hillsborough's weekly additions dropped from 79 to 36 as cooler, drier air arrived. Henderson said he hopes the weather helps crews keep knocking the numbers down. If the decline holds for several weeks, the emergency orders can lapse and spraying can return to routine levels.
8
Hillsborough's dengue emergency lapses after Nov. 12
Possible
Resolves by Nov 13, 2026
Discussed by: Hillsborough County government
Hillsborough has extended its dengue emergency repeatedly since Sept. 24. Weekly cases have fallen to 22, and cooler weather is slowing mosquito activity. If new cases keep dropping, the county can let the order expire instead of extending it again.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 2
September 2015 - March 2016
Hawaii dengue outbreak (2015-2016)
Hawaii's Big Island recorded 264 locally acquired dengue cases over about six months, spread by Aedes mosquitoes. It was the largest dengue outbreak in any US state before the current Florida cluster.
Then
The outbreak subsided after circulation of the virus among the island's mosquito population declined.
Now
It became the benchmark for dengue in US states, the number the current Florida outbreak is on the verge of surpassing.
Why this matters now
Florida's 2026 case count is approaching Hawaii's 264-case record, with transmission still active.
2 of 2
2009-2010
Key West dengue outbreak (2009-2010)
Key West, Florida reported the first locally acquired dengue cases in the continental US outside the Texas-Mexico border since 1945. When two infections were identified in 2009, follow-up surveillance found many residents carried antibodies showing recent dengue exposure.
Then
Health officials discovered the virus had spread more widely than the case count suggested, with many silent infections.
Now
Demonstrated that local dengue transmission could re-establish in the continental US after being largely absent for decades.
Why this matters now
Established that Florida's Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can sustain local dengue transmission, the same mechanism now driving the Tampa-area outbreak.
