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Santa Clara County Public Health officials confirmed in a press release on Wednesday that a county resident has died after experiencing West Nile virus symptoms.
The adult resident, who was immunocompromised, according to county health officials, died in August after being hospitalized for symptoms of the virus. Another adult was also hospitalized with West Nile virus symptoms, but has since been released and is recovering at home. There is no link between the two individuals, officials say.
These are the first two human cases of West Nile virus in the county in 2024, the release states. Public health officials have not yet determined if the individuals contracted the virus locally or elsewhere.
The county health department said it could not release any additional details about the affected individuals, such as city of residence or age, due to medical privacy concerns.
Data from the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department shows that the county typically sees a couple of cases of the virus each year. The last time that there was a West Nile virus death in the county was in 2022.
| Santa Clara County West Nile virus | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 (as of Aug. 15) |
| Cases | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Deaths | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
West Nile virus is a disease that is spread to humans and animals via the bite of infected mosquitoes. The California Department of Public Health considers it the most common and serious vector-borne disease in the state.
Though most people who are infected do not develop symptoms or develop only mild symptoms such as fever, body aches, nausea and headaches, others who are more vulnerable may develop severe symptoms such as neck stiffness, vision loss, neurological damage, paralysis and death. There is no known treatment for the virus.
In Santa Clara County, there are several areas where infected mosquitoes have been found. State data shows that there have been 14 positive mosquito populations found in the county this year as of Aug. 16.
One positive mosquito sample was detected in Palo Alto, and the rest were detected in several zip codes throughout San Jose and Milpitas.
West Nile virus can also be tracked by testing dead birds, as birds are also susceptible to West Nile Virus. As of Aug. 16, Santa Clara County has had 123 dead birds test positive for the virus. San Jose has seen the most dead birds test positive, with 46. Palo Alto has had the second-highest incidence of dead birds testing positive, with 37.
| West Nile virus-positive dead birds in Santa Clara County, as of Aug. 16 2024 | |
| Campbell | 1 |
| Cupertino | 1 |
| Los Altos | 10 |
| Los Altos Hills | 1 |
| Los Gatos | 2 |
| Milpitas | 6 |
| Mountain View | 7 |
| Palo Alto | 37 |
| San Jose | 46 |
| Santa Clara | 4 |
| Stanford | 4 |
| Sunnyvale | 4 |
| Total positives for Santa Clara County: | 123 |
Santa Clara County public health recommends following the guidance of the Santa Clara County Vector Control District to reduce the risk of West Nile virus.
The Vector Control District’s guidance includes wearing long sleeves and pants when spending time outdoors, avoiding outdoor activities during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, and wearing an EPA-approved insect repellent that contains DEET.
The Vector Control District also requests that residents do their part in helping to keep mosquito populations low by dumping standing water where mosquitoes breed, contacting the district to report high mosquito activity or potential breeding sources and contacting the district to report dead birds.
According to the vector control district, the species of mosquito that carry West Nile virus only need a quarter-inch of water to lay their eggs, so abandoned pools, outdoor pet dishes, flower pots, planter bases, old tires, rain gutters and even frisbees can harbor breeding mosquitoes.
In the areas where the district finds infected adult mosquitoes, an adult mosquito control treatment is prompted. This involves misting the air with EPA-approved pesticides in the areas where virus-positive mosquitoes have been found. The district announced in a press release on Aug. 16 that they would be conducting adult-mosquito-control treatments in areas of San Jose following positive West Nile virus detections in mosquitoes.
“The district’s mosquito-management program largely focuses on preventing mosquitoes from reaching the adult biting stage by proactively targeting immature stages of mosquitoes found in standing water,” the district wrote in the press release. “However, when a mosquito with West Nile virus is detected, the district takes the added step of conducting adult-mosquito-control treatments. … It’s important for the district to conduct adult-mosquito-control treatments as quickly as possible upon finding a positive mosquito. Any delay would present an imminent threat to public health and safety”
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