A senior citizen who typically walked 5 miles a day along Tampa’s coastline could be the face of a virus that’s no longer just an imported problem, according to a New York Times analysis. Gay Rabb Small, who turned 80 on the day of his death Sept. 4, is the only death so far in a dengue outbreak that has sickened hundreds in Florida and worried disease experts who say locally spread cases in the state suggest dengue is taking hold. The best guess is that Rabb Small was bitten during one of his daily walks.
Of the approximately 880 infections reported in Florida this year, 503 have been infected locally, a sharp increase from the previous record of 189 in 2023. And if Florida is ground zero for cases in the United States, the Tampa area this year is ground zero in the state, with Hillsborough County recording more than 400 cases, WPLG reports. In years past, cases in the continental United States were generally attributed to travelers, but that is increasingly true as mosquitoes carrying the virus gain a foothold here. One possible factor: Dengue thrives in hot, humid tropical climates, and climate change could expand its reach. With no vaccine approved in the United States and treatment limited to symptom management, officials say prevention still depends on mosquito control and individual precautions.
Gn Health
