LA County West Nile infections jump to 135 as Long Beach reports its first death since 2017

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The county's count jumped by 35 in a single week, with five deaths. Long Beach, which tracks its own cases, reported its first West Nile death since 2017. More than two months of mosquito season remain.

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County has now confirmed 135 West Nile virus infections this year, according to the Department of Public Health's weekly report released Friday, Sept. 25 up from 100 just a week earlier.

Five people have died. Of the 135, 130 were hospitalized, and 120 developed neuroinvasive disease, the severe form of the illness that attacks the brain or spinal cord.

When the county crossed 100 infections on Monday, Sept. 21, Public Health called it the highest count this early in the mosquito season in nearly a decade. The last time the county reached this level was 2017, when 268 cases were reported for the full season.

The department said then that the county is “on track for one of its most severe West Nile virus seasons in recent years.”

West Nile virus can cause serious illness, and the number of severe cases and deaths we are seeing this year is concerning. We are still within the peak period for West Nile virus transmission, so it is important that everyone take steps now to protect themselves and their families.”
— Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer

Six times last year's total

The county recorded 22 West Nile infections and two deaths in all of 2025. This year's count is already more than six times that.

According to the Sept. 25 report, which reflects cases confirmed through Sept. 24:

  • 130 of the 135 infected people had symptoms; the other five were blood or organ donors identified through routine screening
  • 120 had neuroinvasive disease: 91 encephalitis, 20 meningitis and nine acute flaccid paralysis
  • 130 were hospitalized, and five have died
  • 98 were male and 37 female
  • The median age was 63, with patients ranging from 4 to 101
  • The most recent onset of symptoms was Sept. 11

The tilt toward severe cases is expected, Public Health says, because mild infections rarely get tested or reported. County figures exclude Long Beach and Pasadena, which run their own health departments.

Long Beach reports a death of its own

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services reported the city's first West Nile-related death since 2017. The person was hospitalized and died after developing neuroinvasive illness; the city released no other details.

Long Beach has recorded 41 cases this year, 71% of them neuroinvasive, compared with 22 at the same point in 2014, according to City News Service. Those cases are counted separately from the county's 135.

West Nile virus can cause serious illness, and this loss underscores the importance of protecting ourselves and our loved ones from mosquito bites.”
— Dr. Cliff Okada, Long Beach City Health Officer

Where the cases are

About 27% of infected county residents live in the East Los Angeles area, 25% in the South Bay and 19% in the San Fernando Valley, according to the latest report. The South Bay share was 22% a week earlier.

The report lists dozens of cities and unincorporated areas where infected people live. Along the 105 corridor, in the South Bay and in the Gateway Cities, they include Bellflower, Carson, Cerritos, Compton, Downey, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Park, La Mirada, Lakewood, Lawndale, Norwalk, Paramount, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Santa Fe Springs, Signal Hill, South Gate, Torrance, Whittier and Marina del Rey, as well as the City of Los Angeles. A home city does not necessarily show where someone was bitten, the county cautions.

The surge is not limited to Los Angeles. The county report says the California Department of Public Health is seeing the highest levels of West Nile activity in five years, with 147 symptomatic human cases statewide as of Sept. 18, a figure that lags behind LA County's own count. Nationally, 813 symptomatic cases had been reported to the CDC as of Sept. 22.

“West Nile virus activity is higher than we typically see, and our teams are actively responding with enhanced surveillance, targeted mosquito control treatments, disease investigations, and increased community outreach and education,” said Jason Farned, district manager of the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. But “protecting public health is a shared responsibility,” he added.

How West Nile spreads

West Nile virus lives in birds and spreads to people through the bite of a mosquito that has fed on an infected bird. It is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the county, and peak season runs from June through November.

Most people who are infected never feel sick. About 1 in 5 develop a fever with headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. About 1 in 150 develop severe illness that can include high fever, stiff neck, confusion, muscle weakness or paralysis. Symptoms usually appear three to 14 days after a bite. People over 50 and those with health problems face the greatest risk. There is no specific treatment and no vaccine.

What it means for LA County households

With a quarter of county infections now in the South Bay, the message for this region is simple: the mosquitoes that carry West Nile breed in small amounts of standing water close to home. Public Health says mosquito eggs need only “a thimbleful of water” to hatch. Neglected pools, plant saucers, birdbaths, old tires and yard toys can all become breeding sites.

What to know / what to do

  • LA County (excl. Long Beach, Pasadena): 135 infections, 130 hospitalized, 5 deaths as of Sept. 24.
  • Long Beach: 41 cases and 1 death as of Sept. 24.
  • Use EPA-registered repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, 2-undecanone or oil of lemon eucalyptus; wear long sleeves and pants outdoors when possible.
  • Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens; repair holes or tears.
  • Empty anything that holds water, inside and outside, at least once a week.
  • Cover buckets and rain barrels, or use wire mesh with holes smaller than a mosquito.
  • Seek medical care right away for high fever, stiff neck or confusion.

Report mosquito problems: call 2-1-1 or visit socalmosquito.org
Public Health InfoLine: 1-833-540-0473, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Weekly county data: publichealth.lacounty.gov · Long Beach: longbeach.gov

Bottom line

West Nile shows up in Los Angeles County every year, but 2026 is an outlier: 35 new infections in a week, six times last year's total, five county deaths plus one in Long Beach, and two months of mosquito season left. New county counts come out every Friday.

Sources

  • Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, West Nile Virus and Other Arboviral Diseases,” Report #8, 2026 season, Sept. 25, 2026 (PDF): publichealth.lacounty.gov
  • Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, “Public Health Reports Highest Number of West Nile Virus Cases in Nearly a Decade,” Sept. 21, 2026: lacounty.gov
  • City News Service via NBC Los Angeles, “Long Beach reports first West Nile virus-related death since 2017, Sept. 24, 2026: nbclosangeles.com
  • LA County Public Health West Nile virus page: publichealth.lacounty.gov
  • Southern California mosquito control district finder: socalmosquito.org

Cover image: A southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus), one of the species that carries West Nile virus. Photo: CDC/James Gathany, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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