Emergency Alert · Florida · Published September 29, 2026, 8:58 PM CT
A sudden rise in locally acquired Dengue fever cases across the Tampa Bay area has prompted health officials in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties to declare states of local emergency.[1]
Local government agencies are mobilizing emergency resources, partnering across county lines for aerial spraying, and deploying thousands of mosquitofish to destroy mosquito larvae before they mature.
Here is an up-to-date look at the Dengue situation in Florida, case count breakdowns, and essential steps you can take to protect yourself and your home.
Current Situation: Why Counties Declared Emergency Orders The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Health have tracked nearly 392 total cases of Dengue fever statewide (including both travel-associated and locally acquired infections).
Unlike typical seasonal cases linked strictly to international travel, local transmission has spiked drastically in the Tampa Bay region.
Hillsborough County has emerged as the epicenter, leading local commissioners and emergency management teams to enact emergency measures to unlock funding, streamline inter-county vector control assistance, and ramp up ground and aerial spraying operations.
Key Facts
- Where: Florida
- Type: Public health
- Official source: not yet found on a .gov site; this report relies on news coverage
- Outlets reporting: 3
Video: FOX 13 Tampa Bay, September 25, 2026 — “Dengue Fever cases: Multiple counties declare states of emergency”. Matched to this story by shared names and terms in its title; watch the original for full context.
Where It Applies
What News Talk Florida Reports
A sudden rise in locally acquired Dengue fever cases across the Tampa Bay area has prompted health officials in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties to declare states of local emergency.[1]
Local government agencies are mobilizing emergency resources, partnering across county lines for aerial spraying, and deploying thousands of mosquitofish to destroy mosquito larvae before they mature.[1]
How 3 Outlets Are Reporting It
- Florida counties declare state of emergency over dengue (Pest Management Professional)
- UPDATE: Dengue Fever Surge in Florida: States of Emergency Declared across Tampa Bay (News Talk Florida)
- Florida Health Officials Declare State of Emergency Over "Breakbone Fever" Outbreak (Wide Open Country)
If You Live There
FEMA’s public guidance for this kind of emergency: https://www.ready.gov/public-health-emergencies.
For orders that change, check the official source linked above; declarations are often extended or ended early.
References
Investigative methodology: this alert was selected because 3 news organizations reported the same declaration; no .gov announcement had been found when it was written. Quoted text is verbatim from the cited sources. Produced by scripts/emergency_alert_scanner.py, not a language model.
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