Florida Woman Dies of Dengue Fever on Her 80th Birthday
An 80-year-old Florida woman has died from dengue fever, marking the state's first recorded fatality from the disease in 2026 amid an ongoing outbreak.
An 80-year-old Florida woman died from dengue fever on her birthday, health officials confirmed Friday. Gay Small died on September 4 after being bitten near her home in Tampa.
Her death certificate lists "dengue infection" as the official cause of death, along with comorbidities including septic shock and multi-organ failure, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Small’s daughter, Anna Small, told WFLA that her mother was in good health and regularly exercised, suggesting that a previous, undiagnosed dengue infection may have made her more vulnerable to a severe outcome upon a second exposure. "She traveled extensively all over the world, and maybe she had dengue once and didn’t even know it," Anna Small said. "And so this might have been a second exposure, and you know, who would know that it would be so serious."
Infectious disease expert Dr. Adelor Zamora explained to WFLA that a second dengue infection can trigger a more severe immune response. "Studies say that if you get it the second time, it’s even worse against the way that your immune system will react to the virus the second time around," Zamora stated.
Small's death is the first dengue fatality in the Tampa Bay region in nearly a century. Florida health officials have confirmed 152 dengue cases statewide in 2026, with 134 cases concentrated in Hillsborough County. Pinellas and Miami-Dade counties have each reported seven cases.
With cases approaching the 2023 record peak of over 200, 2026 is shaping up to be the state's second-worst year for dengue infections. Health officials note that the actual number of cases is likely higher, as most dengue infections are asymptomatic. Symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headache, and flu-like body aches.
Hillsborough County authorities are implementing measures to control the outbreak, including spraying pesticides and identifying and eliminating areas with standing water where mosquitoes can breed. Recent mosquito sampling suggests that the outbreak is beginning to dissipate.