Mosquitoes land on a metal wire screen in a white background. (Allen J. Schaben / Getty Images)
By Libby Bandelin October 17, 2026 at 5:30am
Los Angeles is grappling with a severe influx of mosquitos — and the insects pose a deadly threat as West Nile fever cases abound, according to recent reports.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA County DPH) documented 216 West Nile virus (WNV) human infections and 10 deaths from the disease — with the number of infected person higher than the average of the past five years, according to information released on Thursday from the LA County DPH.
West Nile Virus poses the most common and deadly mosquito disease threat to California residents, according to California Department of Public Health.
In the state, the Culex mosquito spreads the disease after sucking on the blood of infected birds, and then transmitting the virus to humans and other animals, the state department’s website added.
Only 1 out of 5 people infected with West Nile Virus experience symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash, the department’s website stated. While there are no apparent symptoms in most people, fatigue and weakness from the sickness can last for months after being sick. In 1 out of 150 people, the infection can spread to the brain or nervous system, causing encephalitis or meningitis.
The LA County DPH was not available for comment at the time of publication.
Other mosquito-borne diseases are also spreading across the U.S., including a dengue fever outbreak in Florida.
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As cases grow, one of the reported infected is a 13 year-old boy who developed Transverse Myelitis — a severely enflamed spinal cord — attributed to have been caused by West Nile Virus, according to an Oct. 1 GoFundMe post from the boy’s family. He is currently hospitalized at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, per the post.
For the sixth year in a row, the City of Angels ranked as the No. 1 most-mosquito infested city in the United States according to annual pest control data from Orkin released in May. Chicago and New York City ranked second and third, respectively. Los Angeles took over from Atlanta — now ranked fifth — which held the top spot for six consecutive years from 2015 to 2020. The pest control giant’s statistics are based on the number of its new residential mosquito treatments from March 2025 to March 2026.
“A pest issue that was once concentrated in the Southeast has evolved into a nationwide concern, with cities across every region now facing risks from this pest,” Orkin’s May 5 press release read. “In the U.S., they can spread serious diseases including West Nile virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Zika.”
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