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More Mosquitoes Testing Positive for West Nile Virus
Mary Drier/Mike Kaufman
Sun, 26 Jul 2026 21:44:18 EDT
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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported earlier in the month this 13 counties reported mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).
That announcement noted that with several more weeks of summer left so that number could increase, and it did last week.
The virus was detected in Huron, Tuscola, and Lapeer Counties.
West Nile has also been detected in mosquitoes in Bay, Kent, Midland, Ottawa, and St. Clair counties so far this season.
The virus generally increases in late summer and early fall.
Because there is no treatment for WNV and no vaccine to prevent infection, the only way to prevent getting WNV is to not get bitten by mosquitoes.
Limit outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, use insect repellent with DEET, wear long sleeves, pants and socks, and eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 2,146 people in the United States in 2025 who tested positive for WNV, with 49 of those cases in Michigan.
