Lackawanna County’s West Nile virus surveillance program is underway for 2026 a year after the county recorded one of just five West Nile deaths registered statewide during the 2025 season.
Primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, West Nile remains the most common mosquito-transmitted virus in the United States, though human cases are relatively rare. A 2025 summary published by the state Department of Environmental Protection showed just 80 human cases in Pennsylvania last year and five deaths from Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon and Montgomery counties, respectively.
Lancaster County had by far the most human cases in the state with 21, compared to just one each in Lackawanna and Schuylkill counties. There were no human West Nile cases recorded last year in Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, per the DEP data, but Luzerne registered one of just 25 equine cases of the virus reported statewide.
A mosquito trap set up as part of Lackawanna County’s West Nile Virus Prevention Program. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY)
Human symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, rash and pain behind the eyes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. About 20% of individuals infected with the virus will experience symptoms, and in rare cases the virus can cause serious brain and spinal cord inflammation.
“West Nile is fatal in about 1 out of 10 people with nervous system infections (or about 1 in 1,500 people with West Nile),” the Cleveland Clinic’s website notes.
Lackawanna County’s mosquito surveillance program, conducted in conjunction with the DEP, runs from April through October with a goal of preventing West Nile virus and mitigating the nuisance of mosquitoes in populated areas of the county, officials said in a recent press release.
Mosquito traps residents may spot around the county this spring and summer utilize batteries and dry ice, emit an audible hum and should be left alone, but officials who receive a report of a suspicious device believed to be a mosquito trap can call the program’s coordinator at (570) 840-3297.
Residents can also do their part by limiting or eliminating standing water on their properties that mosquitos use as primary breeding grounds. The county advises that water in birdbaths be changed on a weekly basis, that rain gutters be clear of debris and free flowing, that outdoor containers be stored upside down or covered and that swimming pools be cleaned and chlorinated once the weather permits.
Individuals can also protect against mosquito bites, mitigating their risk of contracting West Nile, by using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants, treating clothing and gear with permethrin and using screens on windows and doors, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State DEP data shows 3,987 West Nile-positive mosquito samples were detected statewide last year, including 37 in Lackawanna County and 103 in Luzerne County. Clarion County was the only county in the state without a positive mosquito sample in 2025.