An older woman in Tampa has died from dengue fever, a mosquito-borne virus that rarely spread locally in the continental United States until recent years. Her death came during one of the worst dengue surges Florida has seen in decades.

Florida has confirmed 152 locally acquired dengue cases so far this year, the second-highest total on record, according to the Florida Department of Health. More than 130 of those cases are in Hillsborough County, where officials usually see only a few. "This is wildly unusual for us," Chris Wilkerson, a county spokesperson, told the Associated Press. Because many infected people never feel sick, the true number of infections is likely higher.

Dengue often starts like the flu, with fever and headache. Severe cases can lead to serious bleeding, shock and death. The mosquitoes that carry it breed in small pools of standing water, including water trapped in old tires, and warmer weather is helping them thrive.

County crews have been spraying around the clock, and recent testing suggests new infections may be slowing. But experts warn this will not be the last outbreak. "I do think it's going to be somewhat the new normal," Michael von Fricken, a University of Florida associate professor, told the Associated Press.

Florida cannot keep responding only after people get sick. Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature should give county mosquito control programs steady, year-round funding instead of emergency scrambles. The Florida Department of Health should send clear public alerts, by neighborhood, whenever local cases are confirmed, so families know when to protect themselves. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners should expand free cleanup of tire dumps and standing water, with extra outreach, repellent and screen repairs for older and low-income residents who face the greatest risk.

Dengue is already here. Sign the petition to demand that Florida leaders fund mosquito control and warn residents before another life is lost.