In This Florida County, an 'Immediate and Widespread Threat'

Florida officials aren't just swatting at mosquitoes anymore—they're treating them as an emergency. Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, has declared a local state of emergency after confirming 134 cases of dengue fever, saying the virus now presents an "immediate and widespread threat" to residents and visitors, per the Guardian. There's been at least one fatality, which the AP notes was an elderly woman in Tampa who died in early September. Nearby Pasco and Pinellas counties have followed with their own emergency declarations as health authorities roll out intensified spraying, public education, and planning efforts aimed at containing the disease.

People reports that in Clearwater, located in Pinellas County, officials have even taken to releasing mosquitofish, which chow down on mosquito larvae, into various bodies of water to try to reduce the mosquito population. Dengue, sometimes dubbed "breakbone fever" for the severe pain it can cause, is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, both found in Florida. State health officials report dozens of locally acquired infections on top of more than 200 travel-related cases this year, while CDC figures list nearly 400 cases in Florida overall.

The outbreak comes as dengue-carrying mosquitoes expand beyond traditional tropical and subtropical zones, with recent detections as far away as London. The emergency status lets counties tap state and federal funds. Though recent mosquito testing in Hillsborough has been encouraging, officials warn that climate trends are likely to keep disease pressure high. Experts tell NBC News that other reasons for the spike in dengue cases could be tied to increased urban development that has shifted mosquito habitats, as well as recent hurricanes in the area that may have boosted breeding opportunities for mosquitoes thanks to excess rain and debris.