KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A person in Kalamazoo County has a confirmed case of West Nile Virus, the first such case in the county this year.
The Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department announced the case on Monday, September 15.
This is the 18th human case of West Nile in Michigan in 2025. Other counties where there has been at least one confirmed human case of West Nile Virus include Kent, Ionia, Emmet, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac and Wayne counties.
In Kent County alone, six people have come down with the mosquito-borne illness this year, including one person who died from it, per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
West Nile Virus has been detected in animals in 27 counties. In Kalamazoo County, mosquitos carrying the disease were first captured in early August.
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A hot, dry summer is 'ideal' for mosquitoes who carry West Nile virus
West Nile Virus is the top disease carried by mosquitoes, per the health department. Most people develop no symptoms; roughly one out of five people will experience flu-like symptoms; and one out of 150 become severely ill with impacts to the central nervous system, sometimes resulting in death.
There is no vaccine for West Nile Virus.
Experts recommend using insect repellent with at least 10 percent DEET, wearing long sleeves and pants, staying indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, and draining any bodies of standing water near your home.
