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Tropical disease spread by mosquitoes claims first recorded death in southern US state
Confirmed
In Short: The formation of Tropical Storm Norbert marks the 14th named storm in the Eastern Pacific so far this season, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Florida recorded its first confirmed dengue fever death of 2026 earlier this month, the Florida Department of Health confirmed Friday, WFLA reported.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can cause fever, severe aches, nausea, rash, and in rare cases, life-threatening complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Kristi Miley, a public-health instructor at the University of South Florida, noted that a dengue death had not been recorded in the Tampa Bay area in nearly a century.
The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day, according to a public health expert.
Bob Small, who spent his career working on dengue vaccines, passed away, leaving behind a legacy of research and dedication to combating the disease.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lowell was moving westward across the open central Pacific with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph late Wednesday.
Forecast maps show the possible path of Tropical Storm Norbert, which became the latest named storm in an active Pacific hurricane season on Thursday.
El Niño conditions are associated with fewer tropical storms and hurricanes, especially in the Western Atlantic Ocean Basin, Matthew Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead for its seasonal hurricane outlook, told Newsweek previously.
Farther east, an area of low pressure is forecast to form several hundred miles south of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula this weekend, the NHC said.
What's confirmed
- Florida recorded its first confirmed dengue fever death of 2026 earlier this month, the Florida Department of Health confirmed Friday, WFLA reported.
- Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can cause fever, severe aches, nausea, rash, and in rare cases, life-threatening complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Kristi Miley, a public-health instructor at the University of South Florida, noted that a dengue death had not been recorded in the Tampa Bay area in nearly a century.
- The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day, according to a public health expert.
- Bob Small, who spent his career working on dengue vaccines, passed away, leaving behind a legacy of research and dedication to combating the disease.
- Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lowell was moving westward across the open central Pacific with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph late Wednesday.
- Forecast maps show the possible path of Tropical Storm Norbert, which became the latest named storm in an active Pacific hurricane season on Thursday.
- El Niño conditions are associated with fewer tropical storms and hurricanes, especially in the Western Atlantic Ocean Basin, Matthew Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead for its seasonal hurricane outlook, told Newsweek previously.
- Farther east, an area of low pressure is forecast to form several hundred miles south of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula this weekend, the NHC said.
What's still developing
- Tyler Evans, an infectious diseases and addiction medicine doctor and associate professor at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, discusses the spread, symptoms and management of West Nile virus.
- The update said gradual weakening was expected, although Lowell is forecast to remain a tropical storm for the next few days.
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