Overview
- The Florida Department of Health confirmed on Friday that a Hillsborough County resident died of dengue, marking the state’s first dengue-related death in 2026.
- State data show roughly 152 locally acquired dengue cases this season, with about 134 clustered in Hillsborough County around Tampa.
- Hillsborough crews have stepped up night and day aerial and ground spraying and are inspecting properties for standing water to target the container-breeding Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
- Some recent mosquito-trap samples in affected zones tested negative for dengue virus, a sign officials say may indicate falling transmission but not proof the outbreak is over.
- Public-health experts cite warm weather and container breeding as drivers of recurring local transmission and urge residents to use EPA-approved repellent, remove standing water and seek care for warning signs of severe dengue.