Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-18 · by Mike Stobbe The Associated Press
Florida has confirmed its first death due to dengue fever in a severe outbreak affecting Hillsborough County, which typically sees only a few cases annually but is now reporting over 130 locally acquired infections this year. The Florida Department of Health reported the fatality without additional details; it marks one of the worst dengue surges in decades, likely exacerbated by recent weather conditions that have allowed virus-carrying mosquitoes to thrive.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 4, Gay Small, an 80-year-old woman from Hillsborough County, Florida, died at Tampa General Hospital on her birthday due to dengue fever. The Florida Department of Health confirmed that she was bitten by a mosquito near her home and subsequently developed the virus. Her death certificate lists "dengue infection" along with "septic shock" and "multi-organ failure." Small's daughter, Anna, stated that her mother had been in good health until she contracted the disease from a single mosquito bite.
The Florida Department of Health also confirmed this year's first dengue-related fatality as part of an ongoing outbreak. Hillsborough County has seen over 130 locally acquired cases so far in 2026, which is unusually high compared to previous years when only a few cases were reported annually. Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by warm-weather mosquitoes whose range is expanding due to climate change.
Experts and local health officials are concerned about the rise in dengue infections across Florida, particularly in areas like Tampa where 134 cases have been recorded this year alone. The outbreak highlights the increasing threat of tropical diseases spreading into traditionally temperate regions as global temperatures continue to rise.
Written for “Dengue Fever Death Florida” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Florida is experiencing one of its worst surges of dengue fever in decades, and the toll now includes a death.
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toll → experience → death
The Florida Department of Health confirmed the death Friday, though it didn’t provide further details.
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it → confirm → details
It’s one of more than 130 locally acquired dengue cases reported so far this year in Hillsborough County, which typically sees only a handful.
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which → ’ → handful
“This is wildly unusual for us,” said Chris Wilkerson, a spokesperson for the county.
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Wilkerson → say → county
The Tampa Bay Times first reported the death, described as an elderly Tampa woman who died Sept. 4.
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who → report → woman
Dengue is caused by a virus spread by a type of warm weather mosquito that is expanding its geographic reach because of climate change, experts say.
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experts → cause → change
The current Florida outbreak is likely due to recent weather conditions that allowed the virus-spreading mosquitoes to multiply.
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mosquitoes → allow → conditions
For decades in the U.S., most reported dengue cases were in travelers infected in other countries, along with locally acquired cases in Puerto Rico.
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cases → report → Rico
But in 2009-2010, Key West, Florida, reported the first dengue cases acquired in the continental U.S. outside of the Texas-Mexico border since 1945.
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West → report → 1945
The state’s largest number — nearly 200 — was reported in 2023.
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number → report → 2023
But this year’s total so far already ranks second, with 152 cases of locally acquired dengue cases so far, according to the Florida Department of Health.
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total → rank → Health
Many infected people don’t get sick, meaning the number of cases reported in an outbreak can be an undercount of the real number of infections.
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number → get → infections
But some experience headache, fever and flu-like symptoms.
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some → experience → headache
Severe cases can cause serious bleeding, shock and death.
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cases → cause → bleeding
Across the world, more than 2.2 million infections have been reported so far this year, according to the World Health Organization, and nearly 1,200 have died.
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1,200 → report → Organization
The current outbreak is centered just north of Tampa, and workers have been spraying to kill mosquitoes day and night.
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workers → center → mosquitoes
They also have been checking properties for pooled water, including in tires, where mosquitoes might breed, said Paolo Pecora, senior environmental scientist for Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services.
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Pecora → check → Services
Recent sampling of mosquitoes has not been finding the virus, a sign that the likelihood of new infections is waning, Pecora said.
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Pecora → find → infections
Outbreaks can start when a person travels, gets infected and then is bitten back in the U.S. by a mosquito capable of spreading the virus.
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person → start → virus
It can mushroom from there, said Michael von Fricken, a University of Florida associate professor of environmental and global health.
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Fricken → mushroom → health
Given the recurring abundance of those kinds of mosquitoes in Florida, the threat of dengue is not likely to tail off, he added.
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he → give → dengue
“I do think it’s going to be somewhat the new normal,” he said.
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he → think → ?
The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and private foundations.
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coverage → receive → Journalism
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