Placer public health officials confirm first human West Nile case of 2025
Health authorities have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in Placer County this year, the 23rd human case in the state this year.
A Lincoln resident contracted the virus this week, said the county’s health officer in a statement Friday afternoon. Health officials said the potential of the virus being transmitted to humans in the county “remains high.” The virus is transmitted through the bite of a female mosquito.
“Many people infected with West Nile virus don’t even realize it or only feel mild effects,” said Dr. Rob Oldham, the county’s health officer, in the Friday statement. “But for a small number — about 1 in 150 — it can be very serious. That’s why preventing mosquito bites is so important.”
Officials did not provide information on the person’s condition or whether they were hospitalized or had underlying health conditions, common among those with acute symptoms of West Nile.
The confirmation comes one week after a Yolo County resident was hospitalized with a severe infection, and less than two weeks after Butte County reported the Sacramento Valley’s first case of the year on Aug. 15.
“Although human cases are reported weeks after the onset of symptoms in patients, the risk for West Nile virus transmission to humans in Placer County remains high,” Placer County officials said in the statement. “The (Placer) Mosquito and Vector Control District and the County Public Health Department anticipate there will be more human cases reported as we enter fall.”
Placer County first detected West Nile virus in mosquitoes in June, officials said. Since then, the virus has been found in five dead birds and 129 mosquito samples. The vector control district has conducted multiple ground-based sprays since July 15 to reduce the mosquito population across the county’s western tier, mainly in Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln.
Vector Control officials after the year’s first human case of the virus are asking Placer resident to protect themselves from the bite by using FDA-approved repellents containing DEET, draining sources of standing water from their property; and contacting the district at 916-380-5444 for any additional help controlling mosquitoes around the home.
Residents can learn more about the virus by visiting the state’s West Nile website.
Residents can report dead birds to the state website, westnile.ca.gov; or by calling toll-free 877-968-2473.
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