Do Dengue and Tennis Mix in Miami — Vax-Before-Travel
With about 390,000 worldwide tennis fans attending the Miami Open 2025 tennis tournament, most Florida visitors are unaware of ongoing mosquito-transmitted health risks in late March.
The Miami Open 2025 is an international tennis event that welcomes fans from the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Throughout the Region of the Americas, including southeast Florida, Dengue outbreaks set records last year. In total, 49 countries and territories reported over 13 million cases in 2024.
In the continental United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that locally acquired Dengue cases were confirmed in Florida (91), California (18), and Texas (1) last year.
Additionally, a record number of dengue cases (3,483) were identified among U.S. travelers in 2024, an 84% increase from 2023. The highest number of travel-associated cases was reported in Florida (1,016).
As of March 19, 2025, about 1.2 million Dengue cases and 348 related fatalities have been reported in the Americas this year.
To better inform everyone of this health risk, the CDC issued a Health Update regarding Dengue fever outbreaks on March 18, 2025. According to the CDC, these disease outbreaks are expected to continue throughout 2025, with increased dengue activity in endemic areas, such as Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
According to the Florida Department of Health, Miami-Dade County led all counties in Local (91) and Travel (1,016) cases last year. So far in 2025, 42 cases of Dengue have been confirmed in Florida among people who have traveled internationally, including 23 people arriving from Cuba.
To alert visitors to the greater Miami area, Florida’s health department issued a mosquito-borne illness alert scheduled to remain in effect until December 31, 2025. Furthermore, Duval, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Pasco counties are also under mosquito-borne illness alerts.
Since Dengue vaccines remain unavailable in the U.S. in 2025, the CDC advises preventing mosquito bites during travel, particularly when visiting areas with frequent Dengue virus transmission.
Recently, DENV-4 has become the dominant subtype.
In addition, the CDC says travelers should prevent mosquito bites for a few weeks after returning home to avoid possibly spreading the virus to others if they are in an area where mosquitoes are active.
An additional disease prevention recommendation is posted on the Miami Open 2025 website.
‘We urge everyone attending events at Hard Rock Stadium to adhere to the COVID-19 recommendations of the CDC, which include getting vaccinated and wearing masks in indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.’
The CDC and Florida both recommend wearing long-sleeved shirts when possible to reduce mosquito bite risks, which may also prevent sunburns while watching tennis matches!
