Kansas health officials warn of high West Nile virus risk statewide

Key Points:

• The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has declared the entire state at high risk for West Nile virus-carrying mosquito bites, according to their latest risk assessment.
• West Nile virus symptoms range from mild (fever, headache, rash) to severe neurological infections that can cause brain damage or death; dozens of neuroinvasive cases occur annually in Kansas.
• In 2025, Kansas reported 26 neuroinvasive and 10 non-neuroinvasive West Nile cases with one death, primarily affecting males aged 65-75, while 2026 has seen one non-neuroinvasive case so far.
• KDHE advises residents to protect themselves by using EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing, avoiding outdoor activities at peak mosquito times, maintaining window screens, and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed.
• Additional preventive measures include regularly emptying water containers, treating stagnant water with larvicides, and using mosquito-eating fish in ponds to reduce mosquito populations.