New Jersey has confirmed its first West Nile virus death of 2026, and the state's human case count has reached 26, the New Jersey Department of Health said Oct. 2. Several more cases are under investigation.
The state did not release the person's age, sex, or county of residence. What it did release shows a pattern that matters for families with older relatives: 69% of this year's cases have occurred in people 60 and older, and 19 of the 26 patients developed neurological illness.
