Stanislaus County's Health Services Agency says the county has recorded its first human case of West Nile virus for 2026, part of what officials are calling a notably severe season for the disease across California.
Stanislaus County confirmed its first human West Nile virus case of 2026 in a press release this week.
The county has not specified where within Stanislaus County the case originated.
46 human cases reported in California this year, including 4 deaths — compared to 14 cases at this point in 2025.
There is no vaccine and no specific treatment for West Nile virus.
What the county is saying.
In its press release, Stanislaus County Health Services Agency noted that the last significant increase in human West Nile virus cases in the county was back in 2023. This year's numbers are already tracking well ahead of that pace statewide.
Public Health Officer Dr. Thea Papasozomenos urged residents to take mosquito-bite prevention seriously heading into the rest of the season.
The statewide numbers.
California has recorded 46 human West Nile virus cases so far this year, including four deaths, according to reporting from CBS Sacramento. At the same point in 2025, the state had only counted 14 cases. The four reported deaths this year occurred in Butte, Fresno, Glenn, and Kings counties — not Stanislaus.
West Nile virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people infected never develop symptoms, but the virus can cause serious neurological illness in a smaller number of cases, particularly among older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
What residents can actually do.
With no vaccine and no targeted treatment available, prevention is the primary tool public health officials have. That means the standard mosquito-season basics: draining standing water around the home, using EPA-registered repellent, and wearing long sleeves during peak mosquito hours at dawn and dusk.