Three counties around Tampa Bay have declared local states of emergency over dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness that is normally something Americans catch abroad. Pasco County acted first, and Hillsborough and Pinellas followed on Thursday, 24 September 2026. The Washington Post called the outbreak “wildly unusual,” and the numbers explain why. If you are planning a trip to the Gulf Coast this autumn, this is what is confirmed, what is not, and what to do about it.
What Is Happening
According to reporting by WUSF and Hillsborough County, 170 of the 190 cases Florida has counted since July are in Hillsborough County, the county that includes Tampa. The county added 36 locally acquired cases in the week of 13 to 19 September alone. “Locally acquired” is the important phrase: these are people who were bitten in Florida, not travelers who brought the virus home.
Health officials have also confirmed the first dengue death in the region in roughly a century, an 80-year-old woman bitten near her home in South Tampa. Smaller numbers have been reported elsewhere: two cases in Pasco, seven in Pinellas (none confirmed there since August), two in Orange County and a first locally acquired case in Polk County, announced on Thursday.
The emergency declarations last seven days unless they are extended, and they let the counties act quickly and claim federal reimbursement. In practice, that means aerial mosquito treatments over several Hillsborough neighborhoods. Residents can sign up for alerts about treatments in their area, and the county’s Mosquito Management Services line is (813) 635-5400.
What This Means for a Trip
None of the official sources we read tells visitors to cancel or avoid Florida. The risk is concentrated in specific neighborhoods around Tampa Bay, and the response is a mosquito-control effort rather than a travel restriction. Still, this is a fast-moving situation: case counts are published weekly and are already out of date by the time they reach a news story, so check the latest figures before you travel.
Most people who are infected never notice. About one in four develops symptoms, which the CDC describes as fever with aches and pains, often behind the eyes, plus muscle, joint and bone pain, nausea, vomiting and rash. Symptoms usually begin within two weeks of the bite and last two to seven days. Severe cases can involve bleeding or shock and need hospital care, which is why the illness is taken seriously even though most cases are mild.
How to Avoid Being Bitten
Dengue is spread by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. There is no medicine that treats it, and the CDC’s advice is blunt: the best prevention is to avoid mosquito bites. The guidance from Florida health officials is practical:
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
- Wear loose-fitting long sleeves and long pants outdoors.
- Take extra care around sunrise and sunset, and avoid areas with heavy mosquito activity.
- Do not leave standing water around where you are staying: buckets, flowerpots, toys, pet dishes, bird baths, gutters and tires all breed mosquitoes.
If You Feel Sick After a Visit
The CDC’s advice is to see a healthcare provider if you develop a fever or other symptoms, and to tell them about your travel. Management is rest, fluids and acetaminophen for fever and pain; ask a clinician before taking anything else. Because symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear, a fever after you get home still counts.
Planning Around Florida in Autumn
Mosquitoes are one more reason to treat early autumn in Florida as a season with conditions to plan for, not a guaranteed beach week. Our hurricane season travel guide covers the other big variable, and our piece on rabies and travel follows the same approach for another health notice: start from the official advisory, then decide what to change.
The short version: Tampa Bay is open and the risk is local and being actively managed, but this is the moment to pack repellent, cover up at dawn and dusk, and check the Florida Department of Health and CDC pages the week you leave.
