Florida issues health alerts for dengue cases in three counties

The Florida Department of Health has issued health alerts following confirmed cases of dengue fever with local transmission in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Miami-Dade counties.

In Hillsborough County, eight cases have been confirmed. Pinellas County has reported two cases of local transmission, involving patients with no recent travel history to endemic areas. Miami-Dade County has also activated a local alert after confirming its first case of community-acquired dengue.

Health officials attribute the risk of reintroduction to frequent international travel and proximity to regions like Puerto Rico where the virus circulates. Authorities have intensified mosquito control efforts, including epidemiological surveillance, inspections to eliminate breeding sites in standing water, and the use of larvicides and fumigation to target Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.