The 2026 West Nile virus season has arrived earlier, spread wider, and killed more people at this point in the year than any season in more than two decades — and the months of highest risk have not yet arrived.
The CDC confirmed at least 48 West Nile virus cases as of June 30, 2026, with 38 of those classified as severe neuroinvasive disease, meaning the virus reached the brain or spinal cord. Since 2004, the average number of cases reported to the CDC by the end of June has been approximately 10. This year's count is nearly five times that historical benchmark.
