Gay Small, an 80-year-old woman from Tampa, Florida, became the first person in nearly a century to die from dengue fever contracted locally in the state. She was bitten by a mosquito near her home and passed away at Tampa General Hospital on 4 September—her birthday—with her death certificate listing dengue infection alongside septic shock and multi-organ failure. Her death is significant because it marks the first fatal case in the area in almost 100 years and occurs during an unprecedented outbreak of the mosquito-borne tropical disease.

Florida is currently experiencing its worst dengue outbreak on record, with more than 330 cases reported across the state in 2026—far exceeding any other state in the nation, with California recording just 31 cases. Hillsborough County, where Ms Small lived, has been the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 134 of the 152 cases reported in Florida this summer. Environmental authorities have urged residents to reduce mosquito breeding habitats by emptying containers and standing water, emphasising that controlling the outbreak requires community-wide effort. Despite advances in medical science, no effective vaccine against dengue currently exists.