Overview
- Federal data reported Wednesday show at least 48 confirmed human West Nile cases and positive mosquito pools in 23 states, a much earlier and larger surge than is typical by late June.
- Local surveillance teams have found infected mosquito pools from California to Washington and Texas, and jurisdictions including Fort Bend County, Texas declared a public‑health emergency and completed aerial spraying after dozens of positive samples were confirmed.
- Several states have reported human infections this week, including cases in the Houston area, Box Elder County in Utah, Hancock County in Mississippi, and a neuroinvasive case in Long Beach, California.
- Public-health agencies are urging simple preventive steps — eliminate standing water, use EPA‑approved repellents (DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus), wear long clothing at dawn and dusk, and repair window screens — because there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
- Health officials say the early surge is linked to a warm winter and wet spring that helped mosquito eggs and larvae survive, surveillance relies on routine trapping and pooled testing to guide targeted spraying, and officials will keep monitoring mosquito activity as the season progresses.