Los Angeles reports 216 West Nile cases and ten deaths as mosquitoes surge
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 216 human West Nile virus infections and ten deaths, the highest number in five years, as the city faces a record mosquito infestation.
The surge strains local health resources and underscores the growing threat of mosquito‑borne disease in a densely populated urban area, prompting officials to intensify public warnings and vector‑control efforts.
Orkin’s annual pest‑control data ranked Los Angeles as the most mosquito‑infested U.S. city for the sixth consecutive year, based on residential treatments from March 2025 to March 2026, with Chicago and New York City trailing behind.
The state’s Culex mosquito acquires West Nile virus by feeding on infected birds before passing the pathogen to humans and other animals, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Only one in five infected people develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting or a skin rash, while roughly one in 150 may suffer serious neurological complications like encephalitis or meningitis.
Among the cases, a 13‑year‑old boy was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a severe inflammation of the spinal cord linked to the virus, and is currently hospitalized at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
"I’ve been here my whole life and the amount of mosquitoes I’ve seen this summer has been insane," a TikTok user wrote, noting that even sitting in a car with the windows down offers no respite. "Our kids have been covered head to toe in mosquito bites…It’s an absolute nightmare," resident Truman Hedding of El Segundo told Fox 11.
Health officials have urged residents to eliminate standing water, use EPA‑registered repellents, and keep windows and doors screened to reduce mosquito breeding sites.
Authorities continue to monitor the outbreak, deploying additional traps and partnering with pest‑control firms to curtail mosquito populations while reminding the public that early symptom recognition can improve outcomes.
