Houston Confirmed Seven West Nile Virus Cases

Harris County Public Health’s (HCPH) Mosquito and Vector Control Division today reported a significant increase in West Nile virus (WNV), which is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.

On July 26, 2024, seven human cases of WNV were reported to HCPH in unincorporated Harris County (outside the City of Houston).

Additionally, 520 positive mosquito samples were identified across 168 of its 268 operational areas in Harris County, which has a population of about 4.9 million.

HCPH urges residents to protect themselves and their loved ones against this mosquito-transmitted illness.

As of July 23, 2024, the U.S. CDC reported 45 WBV disease cases and 24 WNV neuroinvasive disease cases from 19 states this year.

Furthermore, the CDC says there are no vaccines or medicines to prevent WNV disease. 

Several vaccine candidates, including live attenuated chimeric, DNA (first and second generation), recombinant subunit, and inactivated whole-virus vaccines have been the subject of human clinical studies.