The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has reported the first case of West Nile virus disease in the state for 2025. The individual, a resident of Durham County, is the subject of this confirmed case. No further details about the patient will be released to protect their privacy.
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus were also recently detected during routine monitoring efforts in Pitt County. This surveillance is part of an ongoing partnership between Pitt County Vector Control and NCDHHS aimed at reducing transmission of West Nile virus and other diseases spread by mosquitoes.
“This is the time of year when West Nile virus activity typically increases across North Carolina,” said Emily Herring, NCDHHS Public Health Veterinarian. “This recent case highlights the importance of preventing mosquito bites to reduce the risk of infection.”
West Nile virus can cause serious illness or death, although most people infected do not develop symptoms. According to health officials, only cases involving neurologic symptoms are required to be reported in North Carolina. The virus is primarily transmitted from wild birds to humans through mosquito bites and does not spread from person to person.
About one in five individuals who contract West Nile virus may experience fever along with headache, body aches, or joint pain. Severe neurologic illness develops in approximately one out of every 150 infected people, with symptoms that can include high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, seizures, or paralysis. Older adults and those with weakened immune systems face a higher risk for severe complications.
Officials recommend several measures to prevent mosquito bites: using EPA-registered insect repellents; wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants outdoors; removing standing water from around homes; keeping gutters clean; ensuring rain barrels have secure lids or screens; treating stagnant water with approved larvicides; draining puddles or ditches that hold water for more than four days after rainfall; and maintaining intact window and door screens.
Further information on prevention can be found at the NCDHHS West Nile Virus webpage as well as on the CDC’s site dedicated to West Nile virus prevention.
