Broward Becomes Eighth Florida County with Local Dengue as State Adds 44 Cases and Widens Mosquito Advisories

HPV Vaccination Before First Pregnancy Linked to 15% Lower Odds of Very Preterm Birth in Swedish Registry DataA BMJ study of 624,713 Swedish births linked HPV vaccination before pregnancy to 15% lower odds of very preterm birth. What families should know. Ozempic and Zepbound Makers Report Slower Aging Clocks, but Unreviewed Data Do Not Prove Patients Age SlowerNovo Nordisk and Eli Lilly say GLP-1 drugs slowed aging clocks, but the data are early and unreviewed. Here is what patients should know. Had Gestational Diabetes or Postpartum Depression? Large Study Links Pregnancy History to Later Heart and Kidney RiskA study of 1.4 million women links pregnancy complications to later heart, diabetes, and kidney risk. What to tell your doctor at checkups. Dementia Patients Overweight or Obese at Diagnosis Had Up to 27% Lower Death Risk, Raising Caregiver Nutrition QuestionsA national study of 4,523 U.S. adults with dementia linked higher weight at diagnosis to longer survival. Here is what it means for caregivers. Mental Health Frequent Mental Distress in Adults 18 to 29 Climbed From 12.7% to 21.3% Since 2012 Despite Recent DeclinesCDC data show 1 in 5 adults 18 to 29 report frequent mental distress, up from 2012 but down two years straight. Where to find help today. Veterans’ PTSD and Depression Relief After Ibogaine Largely Held for a Year in Small Stanford Study of 30Most veterans in a small Stanford ibogaine study kept their PTSD gains at 12 months, but the study had no control group, and heart risks remain. Hymns and Childhood Songs Topped the Phantom Music 81 Patients Heard, and Hearing Loss Was Often Not the CauseA Dutch study of people who hear music that isn’t playing found that half had no documented hearing loss, and most found the music a burden. Childhood Abuse Linked to Brain Structure Differences in 3,711 Brain Scans, with Stronger Patterns Seen in Young WomenA UCLA-led study of 3,711 brain scans links childhood abuse to brain structure differences. It shows an association, not a cause, and needs follow-up. Innovation Caribou Biosciences Halts Off-the-Shelf CRISPR CAR-T Programs for Lymphoma and Myeloma After Failing to Fund Phase 3 TrialCaribou Biosciences is ending its off-the-shelf CAR-T programs after failing to fund a phase 3 lymphoma trial. What patients should know. AbbVie’s Experimental Cancer Drug Temab-A Earns Two FDA Breakthrough Designations for Advanced Colorectal and Lung CancersFDA gave AbbVie’s Temab-A two breakthrough designations for advanced colorectal and lung cancers. What the status means and what patients should know. First NCCN Pediatric Bone Sarcoma Guidelines Call for Specialist Teams to Treat Children and Teens with Ewing SarcomaNCCN released its first pediatric bone sarcoma guidelines, urging specialist teams for children and teens with Ewing sarcoma. What parents should know. Tech and AI Firms Lobbied Federal Health Officials in a CMS-Run Slack as Medicare Promotes Commercial Health AppsA KFF Health News probe found tech firms lobbying officials in a CMS-run Slack. What it means for seniors using Medicare-promoted health apps. Healthy Living Pallone Bill Would End Surprise Billing Arbitration in 2028 and Set Out-of-Network Pay at Insurers’ Median RatesA new House bill would replace No Surprises Act arbitration with a median in-network payment standard. What it could mean for premiums and bills. Carnivore Dieters’ LDL Cholesterol Jumped Nearly 100 Points in a German Study, and a 2026 Review Won’t Endorse the Diet Long TermA German study saw carnivore dieters’ LDL jump nearly 100 points, and a 2026 review says the meat-only diet can’t be recommended long-term. Twice as Many U.S. Hospitals Closed as Opened From 2010 to 2025, Leaving More Than 24,000 Fewer BedsA JAMA analysis finds 432 U.S. hospitals closed and 216 opened since 2010, with urban and rural areas hit at similar rates. What it means for care. Three Colorado Women Developed Blurred Vision and Weakness After Unapproved Botulinum Toxin Shots at a Medical SpaA CDC report links symptoms in three Colorado women to an unapproved botulinum toxin product used at a medical spa. What patients should ask first. Covid – 19 FDA Proposes Requiring Companies to Report Food Additives That Now Reach Grocery Shelves Without Federal ReviewFDA has released its proposed GRAS rule requiring companies to notify the agency about food additives. Here is what the proposal does and does not do. Federal Regulators Warn Some Hair Dryer Brushes Lack the Part That Stops ElectrocutionCPSC warns hair dryer brushes sold on Walmart.com and TikTok Shop lack immersion protection. The seller has not agreed to a recall or refund. A Recalled Teething Toy Broke the Pattern Parents Were Told to Look ForA newly recalled pull-string teething toy has a different model number and design from earlier recalls, and one choking incident has been reported. Trying to Lower Blood Sugar, Cholesterol or Blood Pressure? Different Workouts Suited Different MarkersA pooled analysis of 53 trials found that different exercise types helped different metabolic markers. Most of the evidence was low certainty. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket Florida reported 44 new locally acquired dengue cases in its latest weekly surveillance report, bringing the state’s 2026 total to 296. The Florida Department of Health’s Week 39 report, covering Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, also shows that Broward County has become the eighth Florida county with local spread this year.

Broward had one locally acquired case with illness onset in September, according to the state report. Locally acquired means the person was infected by a mosquito in Florida rather than while traveling, a sign that the virus is circulating in local mosquito populations.

The state also expanded its list of counties under mosquito-borne illness advisories. Broward, Holmes, Manatee and Martin now join Brevard, Leon, Palm Beach, Polk and Walton. Seven counties remain under the stronger alert level: Alachua, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco and Pinellas.

The outbreak remains centered in Tampa Bay. Hillsborough County accounts for 259 of the 296 local cases, or about 88%, according to the state data. Hillsborough rose from 223 to 259 cases in one week, and Pinellas County rose from 13 to 20.

Other counties reporting local cases this year are Miami-Dade with eight, Orange and Pasco with three each, and Broward, Palm Beach and Polk with one each. Miami-Dade’s total did not change from the previous week.

The weekly increase was smaller than the week before. The state reported 62 new local cases in its Week 38 report and 44 in Week 39. One week does not make a trend, and cases are often reported after a delay.

MedicalDaily previously reported that the outbreak had reached 252 local cases with Polk as the seventh affected county. The newest data add Broward to a South Florida area where Miami-Dade and Palm Beach had already reported local cases.

Broward’s single local case does not mean residents face the same risk as people in Hillsborough. It does mean the virus has likely been spread by local mosquitoes in another part of the state.

South Florida also reports most of the state’s travel-related dengue. Florida has recorded 262 travel-associated dengue cases this year, including 215 linked to travel to Cuba, according to the state report. Miami-Dade reported 160 of those cases and Broward 20, Outbreak News Today reported, citing state data.

Travel cases matter because a local mosquito can bite an infected traveler and then pass the virus to someone who never left the area. Nearly all local cases with a known type this year involve DENV-2, the state report shows. State testing has also detected the virus in 20 pools of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, 19 in Hillsborough County and one in Pasco County.

An 80-year-old Tampa woman died of dengue on Sept. 4, and the state confirmed the cause of death later that month, WUSF reported. The Week 39 report did not list any new deaths.

About one in four people infected with dengue get sick. Symptoms can include fever with aches and pains, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, and rash. The CDC’s dengue symptom guide lists warning signs of severe dengue, including belly pain or tenderness, vomiting at least three times in 24 hours, bleeding from the nose or gums, vomiting blood or blood in the stool, and feeling extremely tired or restless.

Those warning signs usually begin in the 24 to 48 hours after the fever goes away, so families should not assume the illness is over when the fever breaks. Anyone with warning signs should get emergency care.

Infants, pregnant people, adults 65 and older, and people with certain medical conditions face a higher risk of complications, according to the CDC. A second dengue infection with a different type also carries a higher risk of severe illness. There is no specific medicine to treat dengue, so early medical care and close monitoring matter.

Parents should tell a clinician about any fever in a child who lives in an affected county or recently traveled to an area with dengue. Testing confirms cases and helps health departments target mosquito control.

State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo urged residents ahead of Labor Day weekend to take simple precautions. “Use insect repellent, cover up when possible, and remove standing water around your home,” he said in a Florida Department of Health statement.

Week 39 (Sept. 27 to Oct. 3): The state reported 44 new local cases, raising the 2026 total to 296. Broward became the eighth county with local spread, and four counties were added to the advisory list.

Week 38 (Sept. 20 to Sept. 26): The state reported 62 new local cases for a total of 252, with Polk as the seventh affected county.

September: The Florida Department of Health confirmed dengue as the cause of death of an 80-year-old Tampa woman.

July: Illness onset dates in the state report show local transmission was underway, with 21 cases beginning that month.

It is not yet clear whether cooler weather will slow mosquito activity soon enough to end the season’s spread, or whether more counties will report local cases. Late reporting can also add cases to past weeks. For now, the most useful steps for Florida families are emptying standing water, using repellent and seeking care quickly for fever or warning signs.

How many local dengue cases has Florida reported in 2026? Florida has reported 296 locally acquired dengue cases this year, with data through Oct. 3, according to the Florida Department of Health.

What is new in the latest report? The state added 44 local cases in one week, Broward became the eighth county with local spread, and four counties were added to the mosquito-borne illness advisory list.

What does locally acquired dengue mean? It means the person was infected by a mosquito in Florida rather than while traveling.

Which county has the most cases? Hillsborough County has 259 of the 296 local cases, making Tampa Bay the center of the outbreak.

What are the warning signs of severe dengue? The CDC lists belly pain or tenderness, repeated vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in vomit or stool, and extreme tiredness or restlessness. These signs need emergency care.

Who is at higher risk? Infants, pregnant people, adults 65 and older, people with certain medical conditions and people infected a second time with a different dengue type face higher risk of severe illness.

How can families protect themselves? Use insect repellent, cover up when possible and remove standing water around the home where mosquitoes breed.