West Nile virus found in Placer County bird for first time this year. Here’s where

Health officials in Placer County have identified the county’s first West Nile virus-positive bird of 2026, making it the third capital region county to detect signs of the mosquito-borne disease this season.

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The infected bird, a mourning dove, was found in west Roseville near Pleasant Grove Boulevard and Fiddyment Road, according to the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District.

The district regularly collects and tests dead birds throughout the county as part of its West Nile virus surveillance program.

Following the positive test, district officials said they would increase mosquito trapping and surveillance efforts in the area. Workers will deploy additional traps and inspect potential mosquito breeding sites.

Officials urged residents to report dead birds, which can help identify areas where West Nile virus may be active and support mosquito control efforts.

Residents can report dead birds by calling state health officials at 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) or by visiting westnile.ca.gov.

West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected female mosquito. The virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States and can cause severe illness in some people. There is no specific cure for the disease.

Health officials recommended using EPA-approved mosquito repellent, eliminating standing water around homes where mosquitoes can breed and reporting mosquito problems to agencies such as the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District.

The Placer County detection comes as West Nile virus activity continues to expand across the capital region.

Last month, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District reported the season’s first positive mosquito sample in Sacramento County from an area south of Tahoe Park. Days later, a dead American crow collected in East Sacramento tested positive for the virus.

Earlier this month, Sacramento-Yolo officials also confirmed a West Nile virus-positive Brewer’s blackbird in Woodland, the first infected bird detected in that county this season.

Read more West Nile virus found in Placer County bird for first time this year. Here’s where

West Nile virus activity has also been detected elsewhere in California. State health officials reported 24 virus-positive dead birds and 17 positive mosquito samples statewide as of Thursday. Positive samples have been identified in Alameda, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Clara and Ventura counties.

Mosquito control officials have warned that warming temperatures and favorable breeding conditions could lead to increased virus activity as the region heads into the peak summer mosquito season.

Health officials recommend using mosquito repellent approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, removing standing water around homes where mosquitoes can breed, and reporting mosquito problems to the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District.

What to know about West Nile virus

Each year, about 2,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with West Nile virus, the CDC said. But this is an underestimate as many people do not recognize or report the illness.

There were 113 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in California in 2025, eleven of them fatal.

The virus “almost always” spreads to humans through the bite of mosquitos that have been infected by feeding on the blood of birds with the disease, the California Department of Public Health said.

Most people have no symptoms, but mild symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash on trunk of body and swollen lymph glands.

Severe symptoms can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, impaired consciousness, extreme lethargy, and reduced reactivity to outside stimuli, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. Complications can include death.

“The best way to prevent WNV is to protect yourself from mosquito bites,” the California Department of Public Health said.

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