New York City has recorded 30 human West Nile virus cases so far this year, already more than the 18 cases the city logged in all of 2025, according to the NYC Health Department's surveillance summary. Twenty-four of those patients have neuroinvasive disease, the serious form in which the virus affects the brain or spinal cord. Cases have now been reported in all five boroughs.
The rising local count collides with a stubborn gap in how Americans protect themselves. A national Annenberg Public Policy Center survey of 1,904 adults found that only 15% know the CDC advises against putting repellent on skin under clothing, and just 18% know to look for an EPA-registered product. For families in Queens backyards or on Staten Island ballfields, those details now matter.
The season is not over. The city's July health advisory told clinicians to consider West Nile testing "now through October," and the mosquitoes that carry the virus usually bite around dusk and dawn.
Thirty Cases and 1,737 Infected Mosquito Pools Across the Five Boroughs
Brooklyn leads the city with 11 cases, followed by Queens and Staten Island with seven each, the Bronx with three, and Manhattan with two. Cases are assigned by home address, which may not be where the bite happened.
The count is moving fast. City data cited by NY1 showed 23 cases on Sept. 16, so at least seven were added within days. Mosquito testing helps explain the pace: the virus has been found in 1,737 mosquito pools this year, compared with 1,378 in all of 2025.
The neuroinvasive total alone now sits near a typical full season. From 2021 through 2025, an average of 25 city residents a year were diagnosed with neuroinvasive disease, with a 6% fatality rate, according to the department's West Nile health advisory.
MedicalDaily previously reported on the city's first human case of the year in August. The count has since grown from one to 30.
Nationally, the CDC had counted 504 cases in 41 states as of Sept. 8, a figure Annenberg described as significantly lower than at the same point in 2025. The agency's latest national ArboNET data listed more than 670 cases, NY1 reported.
Repellent Gaps the Survey Found, Matched with CDC Guidance
The Annenberg survey, fielded Aug. 4 to 17, found that 82% of adults know that preventing bites and controlling mosquitoes in and around the home is the best defense. The trouble starts with the details.
Sunscreen order is the first gap. Only 31% knew the CDC advises applying sunscreen first, letting it dry, and then applying repellent, while 49% were unsure.
Placement is the second. Just 15% knew repellent should not go on skin covered by clothing, and 41% were unsure. The CDC's bite prevention guidance pairs repellent on exposed skin with loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
Product choice is the third. Only 18% knew to look for an EPA-registered label, while 30% wrongly picked a product with more than 50% DEET, and 6% chose one labeled "natural." CDC recommends EPA-registered repellents with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone, and notes that concentrations of DEET above 50% generally add no extra protection.
Infant safety is the fourth. Only 53% knew repellent should not be used on babies younger than 2 months, and another 42% were unsure.
Patrick E. Jamieson, director of Annenberg's Health and Risk Communication Institute, said, "The CDC needs to do a better job" of teaching people how to choose and apply repellent. Symptom awareness is slipping as well. In this year's survey, 56% of adults were unsure which symptoms signal West Nile, up from 48% in 2025.
Older New Yorkers and Patients on Immune-Suppressing Drugs Face the Highest Risk
Most people infected never feel sick. About 80% of infections cause no symptoms, and fewer than 1% lead to neuroinvasive illness, according to the city advisory. People who do get sick often have fever, headache, weakness, and muscle or joint pain, sometimes with a rash or stomach upset.
Age changes the odds sharply. People in their 60s are twice as likely to be hospitalized with West Nile disease as younger adults, and those 70 and older are more than six times as likely. Diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, and organ transplants also raise risk.
The advisory singles out patients taking B cell-targeting drugs such as rituximab and ocrelizumab. In one published case series, four of five rituximab users diagnosed with arboviral neuroinvasive disease died. Patients should not stop these medicines on their own, but they should ask their clinician about bite prevention.
Severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, new muscle weakness, or seizures require urgent care. There is no human vaccine and no specific treatment, so prevention does most of the work.
Those steps cost little. Empty standing water from flowerpot saucers, buckets, and clogged gutters after rain, repair window screens, and limit time outdoors at dusk and dawn. Apply repellent after sunscreen dries, use it only on exposed skin, and choose an EPA-registered product.
New York City's season has already outpaced last year's, and older adults and people on immune-suppressing drugs carry most of the risk.
Developing Story Timeline
Sept. 21, 2026: The city summary lists 30 human cases, 24 of them neuroinvasive, and 1,737 positive mosquito pools.
Sept. 16, 2026: City data reported by NY1 show 23 human cases.
August 2026: The city reports its first human West Nile case of the year.
July 6, 2026: The Health Department issues an advisory telling clinicians to consider West Nile testing through October.
June 16, 2026: The season's first infected mosquitoes are collected in the city, the Health Department says.
Key Questions Answered
How many West Nile cases does New York City have in 2026?
The NYC Health Department lists 30 human cases, including 24 neuroinvasive cases, on its current summary page. That already exceeds the 18 cases the city recorded in all of 2025.
Which boroughs have reported cases?
All five boroughs have cases. Brooklyn has 11, Queens and Staten Island have seven each, the Bronx has three, and Manhattan has two, based on where patients live.
Is the West Nile risk over now that fall has started?
No. City health officials told clinicians to consider testing through October, and the department says mosquitoes in the city are active through October.
What is the most common bug spray mistake?
In the Annenberg survey, only 15% of adults knew repellent should not be applied to skin under clothing. Put repellent on exposed skin only, and apply it after sunscreen has dried.
Who faces the highest risk of severe illness?
Adults 60 and older face the greatest risk, along with people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, or an organ transplant. People taking B cell-targeting drugs such as rituximab should talk with their clinician about extra precautions.
When should someone seek urgent care?
Severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, muscle weakness, or seizures after mosquito exposure need immediate medical evaluation. Milder fever and aches can be discussed with a primary care clinician.
