Florida reports 1st dengue local transmission case of 2025

Florida state health officials reported on the first locally acquired dengue fever case of 2025 in Miami-Dade County this past week.

The case was serotypes as DENV-3..

In 2024, 91 cases of locally acquired dengue have been reported from ten counties- Broward (2), Hillsborough (7), Manatee (9), Miami-Dade (50), Monroe (3), Orange (2), Palm Beach (3), Pasco (13), Polk (1), and Sarasota (1).

Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash

In addition, officials reported two additional travel associated dengue cases, bringing the total to 44 for the year. More than half the cases have a travel history to/from Cuba. DEN-4 and DEN-3 are the most common dengue types detected year to date.

1,016 travel associated cases were reported in Florida in 2024.

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update about the ongoing risk of dengue virus (DENV) infections.

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In the United States, public health authorities in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands have declared dengue outbreaks. Local transmission of dengue has also been reported in 2024 in California, Florida, and Texas.

In Puerto Rico, reported dengue cases have remained above the outbreak threshold since February 2024. A public health emergency was declared in March 2024 and remains in effect. In 2024, 6,291 cases were reported, more than 52% (3,292) required hospitalization and there were 13 deaths. As of March 7, 2025, 936 cases have been reported, representing a 113% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, a dengue outbreak was declared in August 2024 and remains in effect. A total of 208 locally acquired cases were identified in 2024, and 30 in 2025 as of March 7, 2025.

Healthcare providers, public health departments, and the public are urged to continue to take steps to prevent, detect, diagnose, and respond to dengue as described in the June 2024 HAN Health Advisory (CDCHAN-00511) on dengue in the United States.

Spring and summer travel coincide with the peak season for dengue in many countries, increasing the risk of both travel-associated and locally acquired cases in the United States.

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide. This disease is caused by four distinct but closely related dengue viruses (dengue-1, -2, -3, and -4). Dengue viruses are spread by the bites of infected Aedes species mosquitoes.

All four DENV serotypes were reported among travelers returning to the United States in 2024. DENV-3 was the most common serotype identified in 2024, but the proportion of cases caused by DENV-4 has been increasing in recent months.