The number of new locally acquired dengue cases under investigation has decreased in recent weeks, the Florida Department of Health said Friday.
However, the agency’s weekly update of confirmed cases shows significant activity in the Tampa Bay area, where an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease continues.
Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties accounted for 92 of the state’s 100 locally acquired dengue illnesses reported the week of Nov. 1-7.
“As investigations are completed, updates will be reflected in the weekly case counts,” the health department said.
Hillsborough remains the center of the spread, with 61 new cases over the latest period.
The county had shown a steady decrease in infections, with only 62 all of October. Last week’s update, covering Oct. 25-31, recorded only 22 new cases, the fewest since August.
Hillsborough has totaled 468 infections since the onset in July. That includes the death of an 80-year-old Tampa woman in September.
County Administrator Bonnie Wise extended a local state of emergency due to dengue through Nov. 19. Emergencies expire every seven days unless extended.
“The areas of concern for disease transmission requiring mitigation efforts currently encompass over one-half of Hillsborough County and are continuing to spread,” Wise’s emergency order said.
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Pinellas’ total has been slowly inching upward. The county added 29 in the latest report, its biggest weekly count this year. Pinellas recorded 54 last month, essentially half of its 109 total counted since the onset in August.
There were two new cases in Pasco, for a total of six.
The state total since the onset in July is 624.
Orange and Miami-Dade each increased by four this past week.
Contributing to the problem: cases associated with travel to regions of the world where the disease is endemic. The state database added 40 cases of international-travel dengue during the week of Nov. 1-7, bringing the total to 422 for the year.
Health experts advise these numbers are likely undercounts. Symptoms don’t usually begin until about two weeks after someone is bitten by an infected mosquito.
Many infected people don’t even get sick.
And there is typically a delay from when symptoms begin and when a case is reported by the health department.
The virus is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, a species common in Florida. Transmission typically occurs when a female acquires the virus while biting an infected human, then passes it to another person through a subsequent bite.
The Florida outbreak is the largest in the United States in decades, health officials have said. Previously, the most Florida cases were 199 in 2023. Last year, the state reported 62 cases.
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People with dengue can feel as though they have the flu, with severe muscle aches, headaches, joint pain, fever and occasional rashes. Hospitalization is common for severe cases, which may include bleeding, shock or even death.
Health officials advise residents going outside to apply repellent and wear long pants and sleeves to help prevent mosquito bites.
As of Nov. 7, county mosquito-borne illness alerts are in effect in Alachua, Citrus, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco and Pinellas and Seminole. Advisories are up in Bay, Brevard, Broward, Columbia, Holmes, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Palm Beach, Polk, Sarasota and Walton.
