Florida dengue outbreak becomes largest on record

Florida's locally acquired dengue outbreak officially became the largest on state record as the Department of Health reported at least 190 confirmed cases for the week ending September 19, a jump of 38 cases in a single week. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, led the state with roughly 170 of those cases, followed by Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Public-health specialists quoted by ABC News on October 1 warned that the true toll is almost certainly higher: dengue is often mild or asymptomatic, routine testing is limited, and many infections never reach the state surveillance system. By the end of September the number had risen further to 252 locally acquired cases across seven counties, with Polk County added. Officials attributed the surge to warmer, wetter conditions favouring Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, increased imported cases from the Caribbean and Latin America, and expanding mosquito habitats around urban drainage. Health authorities urged residents to drain standing water, use repellents and screens, and seek care for high fevers with severe headache, joint pain or rash — classic warning signs of the disease.