🦟 Florida’s dengue outbreak has nearly doubled in the month since three counties declared states of emergency, with statewide cases climbing from 392 to 721 according to CDC data.
Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, remains the center of the outbreak, with cases there rising from 177 to 352. New infections have also been reported in Orange, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
A University of Florida biostatistician and infectious disease modeler said the continued spread was a matter of time, pointing to climate change increasing mosquito populations and lengthening their active seasons. He emphasized the importance of public campaigns to eliminate breeding sites, noting mosquitoes reproduce in small pools of standing water including tires and plastic containers. Cooler, drier weather could slow transmission, but he cautioned any relief may be temporary. If temperatures and rainfall climb again, he said, the outbreak will return.