West Nile Virus Detected In North Dakota Mosquitos 2026

Before you head outside this weekend, you might want to check out a recent report from KX News, saying the West Nile virus has been recently detected in North Dakota mosquitos.

The report states that Williams County Vector Control District discovered that some mosquitos were carrying the West Nile virus during some routine sampling. The source says West Nile usually affects birds, but it can sometimes cause illness in humans.

Cases In North Dakota

How many reported cases have there been over the years? The Department of Health and Human Services publishes a report each year. Here are the numbers dating back to 2016.

2016 - 85

2017 - 62

2018 - 204

2019 - 9

2020 - 7

2021 - 30

2022 - 26

2023 - 58

2024 - 38

2025 - 86

North Dakota Has The Highest Incident Rates

US News published a study in 2019, looking at incident rates in each individual state. They found that North Dakota is one of the worst states for a neuroinvasive disease that is directly linked to West Nile virus. Our incident rate is 7.89 per 100,000. Midwestern states tend to have higher incident rates.

Will You Die From West Nile?

According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 people will not develop any symptoms from West Nile. People over the age of 60 are most at risk. 1 out of 150 who are infected will develop severe illness. Recovery from this may take several weeks or months, and some effects may be permanent.

Symptoms range from high fever and neck stiffness to convulsions, vision loss, and paralysis. If you or a family member suspect you have West Nile, report it to a healthcare provider immediately.

What Is West Nile?

All our lives, we've been warned about the West Nile virus. We've had a tinge of fear since childhood. We were told that mosquitos carry this deadly disease, and with that, bug spray is a must. So, what is West Nile, exactly?

West Nile was first discovered in 1937. It was given the name "West Nile" because it was discovered in the West Nile district of Uganda.

According to CDC.gov, West Nile is a fever that can cause meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and encephalitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain), and yes, it is deadly.