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Ongoing story / Florida

Florida's 2026 dengue fever outbreak

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Florida in 2026 had what appeared to be the largest dengue fever outbreak in the continental United States in several decades, with most cases in Hillsborough County.[1] In September the state confirmed its first dengue-related death in nearly a century, and several counties declared emergencies as mosquito-control crews fought the spread.[2][3][4]

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In September the state confirmed its first dengue-related death in nearly a century, and several counties declared emergencies as mosquito-control crews fought the spread.[2][3][4]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-08-17 (UTC): under 1%, 2 of 464 tracked outlets (0 left, 2 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-08-24 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 466 tracked outlets (2 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): 3%, 15 of 480 tracked outlets (5 left, 7 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 3%, 13 of 480 tracked outlets (3 left, 7 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 2%, 11 of 479 tracked outlets (2 left, 9 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 4%, 18 of 476 tracked outlets (5 left, 9 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 1%, 7 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 6 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 479 tracked outlets (0 left, 6 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 471 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings.We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 2 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (9 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 2, 20260033 of 4711%
Oct 19, 20260606 of 4791%
Oct 5, 20261607 of 4791%
Sep 28, 202659418 of 4764%
Sep 21, 202629011 of 4792%
Sep 14, 202637313 of 4803%
Sep 7, 202657315 of 4803%
Aug 24, 20262316 of 4661%
Aug 17, 20260202 of 464under 1%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 2, 2026 · first reported · Headline from New York Post

    Florida battles largest dengue fever outbreak in decades with hundreds infected

Background

Dengue is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and is not contagious between people, health officials said.[5] In September the state investigated the death of a Hillsborough County resident,[6] whose daughter said she had been in good health,[7] and confirmed the death.[2] Pasco County declared an emergency after locally contracted cases,[8] and by late September the CDC had counted 392 cases in the state that year.[4]

Officials released mosquito-eating fish into ponds,[9] and helicopters from neighboring districts helped Hillsborough's mosquito control operations.[10] In October a locally acquired case was confirmed in Seminole County, and the state issued a health advisory.[11]

Supporting stories (11)
  1. Florida's dengue outbreak is largest in continental U.S. in decades
  2. Florida confirms a death from dengue as the state struggles with one of its worst recent outbreaks
  3. Florida dengue fever cases rise to nearly 300
  4. Dengue fever outbreak prompts Florida counties to declare state of emergency
  5. Case of Dengue fever confirmed in Pasco County
  6. With dengue on the rise, Tampa woman battles ‘mosquito breeding ground’ next door
  7. A Tampa woman was diagnosed with dengue fever. Within a week, she was dead.
  8. Florida county declares state of emergency as dengue fever cases reach 170
  9. As dengue cases rise, Clearwater releases mosquitofish in local lakes
  10. Hillsborough dengue outbreak: Lee County sends mosquito-spraying helicopters
  11. New Florida counties report dengue cases as statewide total passes 400

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 12 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Florida battles largest dengue fever outbreak in decades with hundreds infectedHeadline from New York Post · 3 outlets

October 2026

  1. New Florida counties report dengue cases as statewide total passes 400Headline from WFLA · 6 outlets
  2. Florida dengue fever cases rise to nearly 300Headline from Phl17 · 6 outlets
  3. Florida's dengue outbreak is largest in continental U.S. in decadesHeadline from PBS NewsHour · 11 outlets

September 2026

  1. Hillsborough dengue outbreak: Lee County sends mosquito-spraying helicoptersHeadline from FOX 13 Tampa · 2 outlets
  2. Dengue fever outbreak prompts Florida counties to declare state of emergencyHeadline from The Guardian · 9 outlets
  3. As dengue cases rise, Clearwater releases mosquitofish in local lakesHeadline from Tampa Bay Times · 3 outlets
  4. Florida county declares state of emergency as dengue fever cases reach 170Headline from Phl17 · 8 outlets
  5. Florida confirms a death from dengue as the state struggles with one of its worst recent outbreaksHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 18 outlets
  6. A Tampa woman was diagnosed with dengue fever. Within a week, she was dead.Headline from Tampa Bay Times · 5 outlets
  7. With dengue on the rise, Tampa woman battles ‘mosquito breeding ground’ next doorHeadline from Tampa Bay Times · 12 outlets

August 2026

  1. Case of Dengue fever confirmed in Pasco CountyHeadline from WFLA · 7 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →