Florida battles largest dengue fever outbreak in decades with hundreds infected

Florida health officials have confirmed 485 locally acquired cases of dengue fever this year, as the state grapples with its largest outbreak in decades.Between Oct.18 and Oct.

24, state surveillance logged 60 new infections, with the Tampa Bay area accounting for roughly 95% of all locally acquired cases recorded statewide, according to the Florida Department of Health.The surge prompted emergency declarations in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties in late September, allowing for faster purchasing and spraying and requests for state and federal reimbursement.Hillsborough County has since extended its state of local emergency amid ongoing transmission.The locally acquired infections are separate from more than 300 travel-associated dengue cases reported in Florida this year.The Florida Mosquito Control Association said mosquito abatement teams are stepping up targeted ground spraying, aerial applications and localized property inspections.Dengue is a viral illness transmitted primarily through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The virus can cause fever, severe muscle and joint pain, nausea, rash and, in severe cases, dangerous complications or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Unlike many mosquito species that bite mostly at dawn and dusk, the mosquitoes carrying dengue feed aggressively during daytime hours and thrive in humid residential environments.“The Aedes mosquitoes that can transmit dengue are active during the day and thrive in warm, humid environments like those found in Florida,” an entomologist spokesperson at the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science and Family Health previously told Fox News Digital.“Staying aware of local mosquito activity and consistently protecting against bites are important steps people can take to help reduce their risk.”Public health officials emphasize that Aedes mosquitoes are “container breeders,” requiring as little as a tablespoon of stan...