The Season Is Off to Its Worst Start in 22 Years
Wisconsin health officials confirmed the state's first West Nile virus detections of 2026 on July 14, after mosquitoes collected in Milwaukee County and a wild bird in Bayfield County tested positive for the virus. No human cases have been reported in Wisconsin yet, but the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said the findings mean infected mosquitoes are now present and capable of transmitting the virus to people and animals throughout the state.