Los Angeles County reports 100 West Nile cases, highest in nearly a decade
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said 100 West Nile virus cases have been confirmed this year, including 94 hospitalizations and five deaths, marking the highest count since 2017.
Los Angeles County health officials announced Monday that 100 West Nile virus cases have been confirmed this year, the most reported since 2017 when 268 cases were recorded for the full season. The county's Department of Public Health said 94 of those patients have been hospitalized and five have died. Of the confirmed cases, 96 were symptomatic, with the latest onset of illness reported on Sept. 4.
Geographically, about one-third of the infections are in the East Los Angeles area, roughly a quarter in the San Fernando Valley, and around a fifth in the South Bay region. The California Department of Public Health has also noted the highest levels of West Nile activity in the state in five years.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 671 cases across 42 states this year, though officials caution that the actual number may be higher because reporting often lags behind the seasonal peak in August and September. West Nile virus, transmitted by mosquitoes that acquire the virus from infected birds, remains the leading mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. Risk of severe illness increases with age and certain medical conditions, and about one in 150 patients may develop encephalitis or meningitis, which can be fatal.