Nashville health officials have confirmed the first West Nile virus detection of the 2026 season — earlier in the calendar year than in previous years — following the discovery of the virus in a mosquito pool collected in North Nashville.
The Metro Public Health Department announced on July 1, 2026, that its Pest Management Team found West Nile virus in a mosquito pool trapped near Cass Street in North Nashville — marking Davidson County's first positive mosquito sample of 2026. The detection is notable both for its timing and the context: nationally, 2026 is tracking as the worst early-season West Nile year in over two decades, with 48 confirmed human cases in 23 states and four deaths in Arizona's Maricopa County.
