As of Sept. 1, Florida health officials report 41 statewide cases of locally acquired dengue fever, including 33 in the Tampa Bay region. Meanwhile, Michigan health authorities confirmed an eastern equine encephalitis case in Roscommon County, marking the state’s first human infection with the rare, often fatal virus since 2021.
Public health agencies across multiple states are ramping up surveillance and mosquito control operations following a surge in locally acquired vector-borne illnesses. In Florida, mosquito-control crews have intensified aerial and ground treatments while conducting property inspections to eliminate breeding sites, according to Fox News reporting. The state health department has placed Hillsborough and Pinellas counties under active mosquito-borne illness alerts.
Tampa Bay Region Faces Rising Locally Acquired Dengue Cases
Locally acquired dengue cases mean individuals contracted the virus where they live rather than while traveling abroad. The Florida Mosquito Control Association confirmed 30 cases in Hillsborough County, seven in Miami-Dade County, three in Pinellas County, and one in Palm Beach County. Officials expect those figures to climb further in the coming weeks.
Pinellas County Mosquito Control Director Alissa Berro emphasized that disease transmission transcends municipal boundaries. Dengue does not stop at county lines,
she told local reporters in coverage cited by Fox News. The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day. When someone infected with dengue enters a new area, a local mosquito can bite that person and later spread the virus to others. As cases rise across the region, so does the potential for additional local transmission.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that 2024 was a record year for dengue nationwide, recording 3,798 cases across U.S. states and the District of Columbia—representing a 359% increase over the 2010 through 2023 annual average. Florida accounted for more than a quarter of those totals with 1,044 overall cases, including 85 locally acquired infections across 10 counties.
Michigan Confirms First Human EEE Case in Five Years
While Florida battles dengue, Michigan health officials confirmed a human case of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in a Roscommon County resident, the Detroit Free Press reported. The infection marks the first human case of the rare virus in the state since 2021.
State health authorities report that EEE carries a 30% fatality rate among those who become ill, and survivors frequently suffer permanent neurological damage. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, issued a direct warning regarding the threat.
“It is vital that Michigan residents take precautions against mosquito bites as mosquitoes can carry diseases that can have devastating health effects,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said in a statement. “EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., with a 30% fatality rate among people who become ill.”
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive
State departments are trapping and testing mosquitoes in Roscommon County to gauge local risk levels. Prior to this human diagnosis, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services records showed no animal or mosquito detections of EEE for the year. However, routine arbovirus surveillance has identified West Nile virus and Jamestown Canyon virus across multiple Michigan counties, with over 88,000 mosquitoes tested across 5,420 pools.
Global Chikungunya Advisories and Domestic Spillovers
International travel warnings are also expanding as other vector-borne pathogens spread globally.
Domestically, a non-travel-related case in New York (September 2025) illustrates how warming climates and expanding mosquito habitats continue to challenge public health preparedness across the United States.
Recommended Prevention Measures Across Jurisdictions
- Eliminate standing water around homes by emptying buckets, planters, tires, and toy containers where container-breeding mosquitoes lay eggs.
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