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Dengue cases in Florida keep climbing about a month after three counties declared states of emergency over the mosquito-borne illness.
As of Oct. 22, Florida had reported 721 dengue cases this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That count includes people who caught the virus in the state and those infected while traveling.
That's nearly double the 392 cases the state logged in September, The Washington Post reports.
Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, remains at the center of the outbreak. Cases there have almost doubled since September, The Post reports. New cases have also turned up in Orange, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Ira Longini, a University of Florida professor who studies how infectious diseases spread, said he wasn't surprised.
Longini explained that climate change is boosting mosquito numbers and extending the months when they're active. That's helping dengue spread worldwide.
Cooler, drier weather could slow or stop the virus from spreading, he said. But any break may be short-lived.
"If it warms up and there's more rain, then it'll come back," Longini said.
Nationwide, the CDC reports 2,470 dengue cases in 2026, mainly in Puerto Rico, Florida and American Samoa.
Most people infected with dengue don't get sick. About 1 in 4 develop symptoms, according to the CDC.
The most common sign is a fever along with aches and pains (often behind the eyes), nausea, vomiting or a rash.
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