A Travis County resident has tested positive for West Nile virus, marking the county’s first human case of 2026. The case comes amid an active mosquito season in Central Texas spurred by warm and wet weather conditions.
“While we are moving into the fall, it’s important to remember we still have several months of mosquito season left to go here in Austin,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, in a news release announcing the case.
Williamson County and Hays County have also announced human cases of West Nile in the past week. Mosquito pools have also tested positive for the virus in each county. A few cases are typical in a given year; last year, Austin Public Health confirmed five human cases in Austin-Travis County.
The virus is not spread by human-to-human contact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only around 20% of people who become infected go on to develop symptoms. Those can include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea and rash.
A small number of people will experience severe symptoms that affect the central nervous system, which can lead to hospitalization or death. Older adults and people with serious underlying medical conditions are at the highest risk.
People can protect against mosquito bites by using insect repellant and covering their arms and legs while outside, especially between dawn and dusk. According to APH, it’s also a good idea to drain any standing water in your yard to prevent mosquito breeding.
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