Florida health officials have reported almost 300 locally acquired dengue cases as of Oct. 3 in what appears to be the largest outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States since at least the 1940s.

Most of those cases have been confirmed in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, where vulnerable residents have long had to contend with high temperatures and other elements related to its humid subtropical climate.

Now people at risk, including older adults, children, people with chronic conditions and other comorbidities, and those who are unhoused must now consider exposure to the dengue virus, which is mosquito-borne, in their calculus.

Covering up in Florida’s heat and finding money for insect repellent can present additional hurdles for some patients at Tampa Family Health Centers (TFHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center, in addition to the increased time spent outdoors for those without access to vehicular transportation, making even a visit to the doctor a potentially…