Mosquitoes and dengue fever in Brevard County
Mosquitoes are inflicting a painful reality for some in Brevard County this summer: Dengue fever caught in our own backyards has doubled in just a month, to 19 cases. That's 80% of Florida's 24 cases of the potentially excruciating disease this year. While rarely fatal, it's called "breakbone fever" for a reason.
Experts are still stumped as to why a disease typically found in the tropics is originating for the fist time from within Brevard's borders.
While there are only 19 dengue cases in a county of 658,000, health officials warn residents to stay alert and take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Due to the dengue cases, Brevard remains under a mosquito-borne illness alert after state health officials confirmed five more human cases of locally-acquired dengue fever from the previous week. Escambia, and Miami-Dade counties also are currently under a mosquito-borne illness alerts.
According to a Florida Department of Health report for the week of Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, all five new cases of locally-acquired dengue were reported in Brevard. There have been three locally-acquired dengue cases in Miami-Dade County and one each in Hillsborough and Pasco.
Dengue is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates, according to the World Health Organization.
About one in four people infected with dengue get sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dengue can present "as a flu-like illness with severe muscle aches and joint pain, fever, and sometimes a rash. Usually, there are no respiratory symptoms." Symptoms appear within 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. While most dengue cases are mild, severe dengue can be a medical emergency.
Brevard County is using various mosquito control methods, including mosquitofish and targeted spraying of pesticides.
Brevard Beach Remembrance for Charlie Kirk
As the sun set over Brevard County Sept. 14, hundreds of people gathered at Canova Beach Park in Indialantic holding up their cell phone lights and candles to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Many in attendance waived American flags, wore patriotic clothing and chanted “USA,” at the vigil, which was organized by Chandler Braid, a member of Youth Republicans of Brevard. The Satellite High senior told the crowd how their attendance was a sign that Kirk’s work will continue.
Suspect Tyler Robinson, a 22 year old, was arrested after a relative contacted a family friend, who told authorities that Robinson had "confessed to them or implied that he committed the incident." Authorities said they tied him to the crime through a review of online messages, interviews with his family and friends, and surveillance video.
Storm Tracker Update
The Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, tropical weather advisory from the National Hurricane Center shows the tropical wave has a 10 percent chance of formation in the next two days and a 70 percent chance of formation within the next seven days.
In addition to the tropical disturbance, the hurricane center is keeping an eye on these 2 tropical waves: one in the central Atlantic and one in the eastern Caribbean.