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Friday, Aug. 1, 2025

Has West Nile virus been found in Minnesota in 2025?

Deanna Pistono, MinnPost
yes

West Nile virus has been confirmed in Minnesota in 2025. There have been three confirmed human infections as of Aug. 1. West Nile, the most often reported mosquito-borne illness in Minnesota, was first identified in the state in 2002, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Most people infected will be asymptomatic or have “flu-like illness,” but some will develop West Nile fever. Less than 1% will develop encephalitis or meningitis, which can be fatal. 

The mosquito that primarily transmits the virus in Minnesota is Culex tarsalis. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) shared in its most recent update on July 24 that numbers of Culex tarsalis in the seven-county metro area are at a 10-year high. The MMCD also found through testing that over 25% of Culex tarsalis mosquito pools were positive for West Nile virus.

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