259 of them in one county: the dengue you can catch in Florida
What happened
On 12 October 2026, the UK's National Travel Health Network and Centre – the service behind TravelHealthPro – added dengue in the United States to its outbreak surveillance list. The underlying data comes from Florida's own arbovirus surveillance report for week 39, covering 27 September to 3 October 2026. It makes for striking reading. In that single week, 44 cases of locally acquired dengue were reported. For 2026 as a whole, Florida has recorded 296 locally acquired dengue cases, plus 20 mosquito pools that tested positive, across eight counties. "Locally acquired" is the key phrase. These are not people who caught dengue abroad and flew home with it. These are infections picked up in Florida, from mosquitoes in Florida. The cases are heavily concentrated. Of the 296, Hillsborough County – which includes Tampa – accounts for 259. Pinellas County has 20, Miami-Dade eight, and Orange and Pasco three each. Broward, Palm Beach and Polk have one apiece. The cases began in July (21), rose sharply in August (154) and continued through September (121). Florida separately recorded 262 travel-associated dengue cases in 2026 – people who were infected elsewhere, most commonly Cuba, which accounts for 215 of them. The state report also lists which counties are under a mosquito-borne illness advisory and which are under the stronger alert. As of 3 October 2026, Brevard, Broward, Holmes, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Palm Beach, Polk and Walton counties were under an advisory. Alachua, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco and Pinellas counties were under an alert.
Why this matters
Florida is one of the most popular long-haul destinations for British families. Orlando, Tampa and the Gulf coast draw huge numbers of UK visitors, including a lot of people travelling with children. Most British travellers think about mosquito-borne illness when they go to south-east Asia or the Caribbean. Very few think about it when they go to Florida. That gap between where the risk is and where people expect it is the reason this is worth reporting. Dengue is not usually dangerous, but it is genuinely unpleasant. It is sometimes called breakbone fever, which gives you an idea. The common pattern is a sudden high temperature, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint aches, nausea and a rash. It typically lasts about a week. A small proportion of cases become severe, and severe dengue is a medical emergency. The warning signs usually appear as the fever starts to come down, which catches people out because they think they are getting better. There is also a specific reason for caution if you have had dengue before. A second infection with a different type of the virus carries a higher risk of severe illness. That is well established and it is why the serotype information in the Florida report matters. And there is nothing exotic about the mosquito involved. Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day, breed in very small amounts of standing water, and live in gardens and around houses rather than in jungles.
What the evidence actually says
The Florida figures are from the state health department's own weekly surveillance report, which is about as solid as this kind of data gets. But a few points need care. First, these are reported cases, not total infections. Many dengue infections cause no symptoms at all, and many mild ones are never tested. The true number of infections in Florida this year is certainly higher than 296. That cuts both ways: the risk is more widespread than the count suggests, and the proportion of infections that make you seriously ill is lower than a case count implies. Second, the serotype detail is genuinely useful. Of the locally acquired cases serotyped by PCR, the overwhelming majority were DENV-2: 241 of the 259 Hillsborough cases, and 20 of 20 in Pinellas. Dengue has four types. This outbreak is dominated by one. That matters for the repeat-infection point. If you have previously had dengue of a different type, a DENV-2 infection is the kind of second exposure associated with higher risk of severe disease. This is a reason to be careful, not a reason to cancel a holiday. Third, the concentration is extreme and should shape how you read the risk. Nearly nine in ten locally acquired cases are in one county. If you are visiting Orlando, in Orange County, the local case count for the year is three. If you are visiting Tampa, it is 259. "Dengue in Florida" is not a single risk level across the state. Fourth, context on the travel-associated figures. The 262 cases acquired abroad came mostly from Cuba (215), with smaller numbers from Colombia, Nicaragua, India, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. If you are travelling onward from Florida to the Caribbean, that is the more relevant number. The report also notes other mosquito-borne activity in Florida this year: five symptomatic human West Nile virus cases across 27 counties, and one locally acquired chikungunya case in Miami-Dade. What the data cannot tell you is what happens next. Mosquito season in Florida eases as temperatures drop, but the report covers data only to 3 October. Anyone travelling should check the current position rather than rely on these figures.
Qurexa perspective
Most of our work is delivering prescriptions in Lincolnshire, so travel is not our subject. But there is one part of this where we genuinely have something useful to say, because we see it go wrong. People run out of their regular medicines on holiday. If you are flying long-haul, order your repeat prescription early – ideally two to three weeks before you travel. Pharmacies cannot always dispense ahead of schedule, and some items need extra authorisation from your GP. Leaving it to the last week is how people end up travelling with four days' supply. Take more than you need. Keep medicines in your hand luggage, in their original labelled packaging, with a copy of your prescription or a printed repeat list. If your bag goes missing, that list is what a pharmacist abroad will ask for. And if you take something that affects how you feel illness – blood thinners, immune-suppressing medicines, insulin – ask your pharmacist before you go what to do if you get a fever abroad. Five minutes at the counter is worth a great deal more than searching online at 2am in a hotel room. We are not going to pretend a Lincolnshire delivery service helps you in Tampa. But getting your medicines sorted before you fly is something we can honestly say makes a difference, and it is free to ask.
Practical advice
If you are travelling to Florida, or anywhere with dengue, these are the steps that actually reduce risk. Use an insect repellent containing DEET at 50 per cent, and reapply it as the label says. This is the single most effective thing you can do. Apply sunscreen first, then repellent. Cover up during the day. Aedes mosquitoes are daytime biters, which surprises people who associate mosquito precautions with evenings. Loose, long sleeves and trousers help. Empty standing water around where you are staying. Plant pot saucers, buckets, paddling pools, blocked gutters, pet bowls. These mosquitoes breed in a bottle cap's worth of water. Use air conditioning or window screens where you can, and keep doors closed. There is no vaccine routinely available to UK travellers for dengue, and no specific treatment. Paracetamol is the painkiller to use for fever and aches. Avoid ibuprofen and aspirin if dengue is suspected, because of bleeding risk – check with a pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure. Know the warning signs of severe dengue and get emergency care immediately if they appear: severe tummy pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding from the gums or nose, blood in vomit or stools, extreme tiredness, restlessness, or difficulty breathing. These typically start as the fever drops. Take out travel insurance that covers medical treatment in the United States, and check the cover amount. American hospital care is extremely expensive and the NHS will not pay for it. If you develop a fever within two weeks of returning to the UK, contact your GP or NHS 111 and say where you have been.
What to know
Florida has recorded 296 locally acquired dengue cases in 2026, across eight counties, with 44 reported in the week of 27 September to 3 October alone. UK travel health authorities added dengue in the USA to their outbreak list on 12 October 2026. The cases are highly concentrated: 259 of the 296 are in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa. Pinellas has 20, Miami-Dade eight, Orange and Pasco three each. Almost all serotyped local cases are DENV-2. If you have had dengue of a different type before, a second infection carries a higher risk of severe illness. Florida also recorded 262 travel-associated dengue cases this year, 215 of them linked to Cuba. Seven counties were under a mosquito-borne illness alert and nine under an advisory as of 3 October 2026. There is no vaccine routinely available to UK travellers and no specific treatment. Prevention is repellent with 50 per cent DEET, covering up during the day, and removing standing water. Use paracetamol rather than ibuprofen or aspirin if dengue is suspected. Get emergency care for severe tummy pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding or extreme tiredness, which typically begin as the fever falls. Make sure your travel insurance covers US medical treatment, and order repeat prescriptions two to three weeks before you fly. Sources: Florida Department of Health, "Florida Arbovirus Surveillance, Week 39: September 27 – October 3, 2026", October 2026, https://www.floridahealth.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/fl-arbovirus-report-w39-2026.pdf; NaTHNaC (TravelHealthPro), "Dengue in USA" outbreak surveillance entry, 12 October 2026, https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/outbreaks. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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