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Florida confirms a death from dengue as the state struggles with one of its worst recent outbreaks
Health officials said the outbreak has reached 152 locally acquired cases statewide, with most in Hillsborough County and new testing aimed at faster response.
- On Friday, the Florida Department of Health confirmed the state's first dengue fever death of 2026, involving 80-year-old Gay Small, who died of "dengue infection," "septic shock," and "multi-organ failure" at Tampa General Hospital in Hillsborough County.
- Hillsborough County has become the epicenter of an unprecedented dengue surge, recording 134 of the 152 locally acquired infections reported in Florida this summer, a dramatic shift from the county's typical handful of annual cases.
- Doctors at Tampa General Hospital have treated more than 100 dengue patients, with chief hospital epidemiology officer Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi noting the intense body aches known as "break-bone fever" frequently drive patients to emergency rooms.
- Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services is deploying trucks and helicopters to eliminate disease vectors, while senior environmental scientist Paolo Pecora urged residents to drain standing water on their properties to disrupt breeding cycles.
- Climate change and warmer temperatures are expanding mosquito ranges, with University of Florida associate professor Michael von Fricken suggesting these outbreaks could become the "new normal" for the state's recurring dengue threat.
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33 Articles
33 Articles
Florida confirms death from dengue fever as state battles outbreak
Florida health officials confirmed one death related to dengue fever on Friday as the state deals with one of the worst outbreaks related to the viral illness. The Florida Department of Health did not provide any specifics about the person who died in Hillsborough County, but the confirmed death was one of more than 130 […]
·Washington, United States
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Florida confirms a death from dengue as the state struggles with one o
FILE - This 2006 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes aegypti mosquito in the process of acquiring a blood meal from a human host. (James Gathany/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)
·Baltimore, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources33
Leaning Left10Leaning Right5Center17Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Center
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources are Center
53% Center
L 31%
C 53%
R 16%
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