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Orange County reports locally acquired dengue case
Orange County health officials have confirmed a locally acquired case of dengue fever, prompting mosquito control crews to increase spraying in the area where the person was infected.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Florida health officials have confirmed a locally acquired case of dengue fever in Orange County.
The state health department said Wednesday that it's working with Orange County Mosquito Control to expand surveillance and prevention efforts in the affected areas.
Dengue cases in Florida
By the numbers:
More than 40 locally-acquired cases of dengue fever have been confirmed in Florida so far in 2026, along with more than 100 cases of travel-associated cases of dengue, according to the Florida Department of Health.
41: Number of dengue cases acquired in Florida in 2026, through Aug. 22.
- Hillsborough: 30
- Miami-Dade: 7
- Palm Beach: 1
- Pinellas: 3
On Sept. 2, the Florida Department of Health reported one confirmed case of dengue in Orange County, which was not yet listed in the Florida Department of Health's weekly report.
109: Number of travel-associated dengue cases reported.
- Bay: 1
- Brevard: 2
- Broward: 12
- Duval: 1
- Hillsborough: 6
- Lake: 1
- Lee: 5
- Manatee: 1
- Miami-Dade: 60
- Monroe: 1
- Orange: 2
- Osceola: 1
- Palm Beach: 6
- Pinellas: 1
- Polk: 2
- Sarasota: 1
- Seminole: 1
- St. Johns: 1
- St. Lucie: 3
- Walton: 1
For those cases connected to international travel, the exposure was connected to the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Puerto Rico.
What is dengue?
Dengue is a virus spread through bites from two species of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, according to Florida health officials. Both are found in Florida.
When someone is infected, it can lead to dengue fever, a sometimes painful, debilitating disease. While rare, if symptoms are left untreated, it can be deadly.
Dengue fever symptoms
Symptoms typically appear 3-14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, and usually last 4-7 days. Symptoms are similar to those of influenza and other viruses:
- Sudden fever
- Severe headache
- Eye pain
- Muscle and joint pain
- Bleeding
- Vomiting and diarrhea
Can it be deadly?
Dengue hemorrhagic fever, a more severe form of dengue, is rare, but can be deadly if not recognized and/or treated with supportive care, according to the Florida Department of Health's website.
Treatment
There is no treatment for dengue fever or dengue hemorrhagic fever. However, people should manage symptoms and complications.
Tips for avoiding mosquito bites
There are a number of mosquito-borne illnesses found in Florida, including West Nile, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, as well as travel-related illnesses, like chikungunya fever, dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, and Rift Valley fever.
Health officials are urging residents to take steps to prevent mosquito bites:
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin or clothing
- Remove standing water to stop mosquitoes from breeding
- Keep doors, exterior windows closed
Orange County Mosquito Control focused on mosquito spraying
What they're saying:
Orange County Mosquito Control said Wednesday that it would focus its spraying on the type of mosquito known to carry dengue.
"This virus is spread only by mosquitoes," said Steve Harrison, Manager of Orange County Mosquito Control, in a statement. "A person can contract dengue only after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. The mosquito becomes infected by biting a person who has the virus."
Orange County Mosquito Control regularly sprays for mosquitos around the county, and said all chemicals are approved by the U.S. EPA and are considered to be safe for humans and animals.
The Source: This story was written with information from the Florida Department of Health's Orange County office, the Florida Department of Health website on dengue fever, the Florida Arbovirus Surveillance weekly report (ending Aug. 22), and a statement from Orange County Mosquito Control issued on Sept. 2, the same day that the locally-acquired case in Orange County was confirmed.