Update to our October 10 dengue report: Florida's Department of Health Week 39 report (covering Sept. 27–Oct. 3) added 44 new locally acquired dengue cases, bringing the 2026 state total to 296. Broward County became the eighth county with local transmission after recording one case with illness onset in September.
The state also widened its advisory list: Broward, Holmes, Manatee, and Martin join Brevard, Leon, Palm Beach, Polk, and Walton under mosquito-borne illness advisories. Miami-Dade, Alachua, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange, Pasco, and Pinellas remain under the stronger alert level. The outbreak is still centered in Tampa Bay — Hillsborough accounts for 259 of the 296 local cases (about 88%).
Why it matters: "Locally acquired" means a mosquito in Florida infected the person, so the virus is circulating in local mosquito populations. South Florida also accounts for most of the state's 262 travel-related dengue cases (Miami-Dade 160, Broward 20), mostly linked to Cuba travel. Use repellent, cover up, and remove standing water around your home. The CDC advises seeking emergency care for warning signs such as belly pain, repeated vomiting, or bleeding from the nose or gums — these can appear 24–48 hours after fever breaks.
