Cases of ‘Breakbone Fever’ Spreading Locally in Florida for First Time in 15 Years Cara Lynn ShultzTue, August 18, 2026 at 3:50 PM UTC 3 Stock image of a person holding a thermometer with a high readingCredit: Getty Florida has reported 10 locally acquired cases of dengue fever this year, including the first in Pinellas County in 15 years Dengue fever, also known as “breakbone fever” due to the extreme body aches it can cause, is spread by infected mosquitoes; severe symptoms include fever, rash and body aches The CDC advises wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent to prevent mo...
Cases of ‘Breakbone Fever’ Spreading Locally in Florida for First Time in 15 Years
Cara Lynn ShultzTue, August 18, 2026 at 3:50 PM UTC
3
Stock image of a person holding a thermometer with a high readingCredit: Getty -
Florida has reported 10 locally acquired cases of dengue fever this year, including the first in Pinellas County in 15 years
Dengue fever, also known as “breakbone fever” due to the extreme body aches it can cause, is spread by infected mosquitoes; severe symptoms include fever, rash and body aches
The CDC advises wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites in at-risk areas
Cases of dengue fever — commonly called “breakbone fever” due to the debilitating body aches it can cause — are spreading in Florida, with one county reporting its first locally acquired case in 15 years.
So far this year, eight people in Florida’s Hillsborough County and two in Pinellas County have locally contracted the mosquito-borne illness, which is not native to Florida. This marks the first time in the latter county that the disease has spread locally in over a decade.
Most cases of dengue in the U.S. occur in people who contracted the disease — which is spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito — elsewhere, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says.
“Pinellas doesn’t have any modern history of having dengue in the county,” Alyssa Berro, the county’s mosquito control manager, told WUSF. “So this is one of those cases [where] somebody has returned from somewhere they got bit. And then got bit by our mosquitoes, which then started the transmission in this area.”
Close up of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoCredit: Getty
In Hillsborough, officials say the eight locally acquired cases were reported in a two-week period.
Advertisement
There have been 1,471 cases of dengue reported in the U.S. so far this year, according to the most recent data.
About 25% of those who are bitten by an infected mosquito will get sick, and cases can range from mild to severe. Per the CDC, symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash and body pains in the muscles and joints. Treatment includes acetaminophen, rest and fluids.
In March the CDC issued an alert about a “ a higher-than-expected number of dengue cases among U.S. travelers,” which is generally how the disease makes its way stateside.
Take PEOPLE with you! Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.
The best way to treat dengue is to avoid dengue, the CDC says, advising those in at-risk areas to wear long sleeves and pants, and to use an insect repellent with DEET, Picaridin oil, lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol. The latter two ingredients are not recommended for children under 3 years of age.
on People
Source: "AOL Breaking"
Source: Breaking
Published: August 18, 2026 at 09:54PM on Source: PRIME TIME
#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle