West Nile virus reported in Durham County is NC’s 1st case of 2025

The first case of West Nile virus in North Carolina this year has been reported in Durham County, the county’s Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.

The case is also the first confirmed case in Durham County since 2022, the department said.

West Nile virus is most commonly spread through an infected mosquito and typically causes symptoms like fever, headache, body aches and vomiting.

A small number of cases are spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and during pregnancy from mother to baby, the department said in a news release.

The best way to prevent the virus is to prevent mosquito bites, accoridng to James Salter, Durham County Environmental Health director.

“People should take steps to prevent mosquito bites and all bug bites anytime they’re going to be outside in order to reduce their risk of getting West Nile or any vector-borne diseases, which are diseases carried by mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks,” Salter said.

Last year, 1,791 West Nile virus cases were reported in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highest number of cases was reported in 2003 when almost 10,000 people were infected in the United States. Most infections occur during mosquito season, which runs from the summer through the fall.

Most people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes don’t experience any symptoms. About 1 i 5 people develop a fever with headache, body aches and other symptoms. About 1 in 150 people develop severe illness affecting their central nervous system with a high fever, muscle weakness, vision loss and numbness.

How to prevent infection

The state Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people spending time outside wear EPA-registered bug repellent and wear clothing and gear treated with pemethrin, an insecticide that kills mosquitos.

The department also advises:

• Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeve shirts and pants outdoors
• Prevent water from collecting around your home like rainfall collected in saucers or flowerpots. Cover and turn over tires, buckets and toys left outside
• Change pet bowls and birthbaths twice a week
• Keep gutters clean
• Ensure rain barrels have tight-fitting screens and lids
• Treat standing water in containers with larvicides
• Drain standing water in places like puddles and ditches around your home
• Use fitted screened windows

For more information go to cdc.gov/west-nile-virus or the state’s DHHS’s website at epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov.

This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 5:21 PM.

Kristen Johnson

The News & Observer

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Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University.