A Marylander tested positive for West Nile virus, state health officials announced days after preventive measures were taken to curb mosquitoes from spreading it.
Someone living in the capital region tested positive for the infection that’s most commonly transmitted from mosquitoes to humans, the Maryland Department of Health announced Friday.
People who contract West Nile virus may be asymptomatic; have a fever, headache or body aches; or develop a rash or swollen lymph glands, state health officials said.
Meg Sullivan, the deputy secretary for public health services in Maryland, is warning residents to take precautions.
“We are in the season when the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne viruses can spread in Maryland,” Sullivan said. “Your best defense against West Nile virus is to protect yourself from mosquitoes, such as using insect repellent, covering exposed skin, and eliminating standing water near your home.”
In 2025, 23 Marylanders tested positive for West Nile virus. In 2024, that number was 18. In both years, the earliest human cases were reported in mid-August.
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The first case of 2026 comes just as the Maryland Department of Agriculture has conducted unscheduled mosquito-control spraying in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties after detecting West Nile virus in mosquitoes there. Mosquitoes contract the virus by feeding on infected birds.
The virus was first detected in the U.S. in 1999. Across the country, 113 people have contracted West Nile virus this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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