First human case of West Nile virus in Wisconsin in 2025 recorded in Barron County
Mosquitoes in Milwaukee and Lafayette counties have also tested positive for the virus.
West Nile virus is usually spread through the bite of an infected mosquito during the summer and fall. Mosquitoes pick up the virus from infected birds. It's the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wisconsin typically sees about 18 illnesses from West Nile virus annually, according to the state health department. Last year, the state recorded 32, including two deaths. Health officials were not able to share the Barron County man's symptoms or condition.
This year's case is a reminder to residents to do what they can to avoid mosquito bites, state health officer Paula Tran said in a news release.
More: What causes West Nile virus and how can you protect yourself? Answers to key questions.
What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?
Most people who are infected with West Nile virus don't feel sick, according to the CDC. About one in five people develop symptoms, which include:
Fever
Headache
Body aches
Joint pain
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rash
About one in 150 people who are infected develop a serious illness that affects their central nervous system. Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.
Once a person has been infected with West Nile virus, they are likely immune from the virus for the rest of their life because of antibodies that will protect them from future illness, said Rebecca Osborn, a vector-borne disease epidemiologist at the state health department.
Do people recover from West Nile virus?
Most people who develop a fever and other less severe symptoms from West Nile virus recover completely. Fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.
People who develop more serious central nervous system illnesses can take several weeks or months to recover, and some effects might be permanent. People over 60 are at greater risk for severe illness if they are infected, as well as people with certain medical conditions, like cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease.
About one in 10 people who develop this more serious illness die.
Can you prevent West Nile virus?
There's no vaccine to prevent West Nile virus, so your best bet is to avoid mosquito bites when possible.
Use mosquito repellants, cover up your skin with long sleeved-shirts and long pants and limit outdoor exposure between dusk and dawn — peak hours for mosquito activity in Wisconsin. Make sure window and door screens are sealed tightly.
Mosquitoes need water to breed, so limit standing water around your home by cleaning gutters and downspouts, removing leaves from low-lying areas and draining dishes under flower pots after rainstorms.
Is climate change making West Nile virus worse?
Climate change is increasing the risk of human exposure to West Nile virus, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Warmer and wetter conditions associated with climate change can affect mosquito breeding and biting rates.
Osborn said it's difficult to link West Nile virus activity in Wisconsin with our changing climate because of the relatively low number of cases the state sees per year. However, she said earlier springs and later frosts are extending mosquito season, and warmer temperatures are making them reproduce faster and can increase the rate at which the virus replicates.
"We do expect, with warmer temperatures and a longer warm season in the state, we might see higher numbers of infected mosquitoes and might see an overall higher number of people infected," Osborn said.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin records first human case of West Nile virus in Barron County
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
14 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Blood Oxygen Tracking Returns to U.S. Apple Watches Today After 5-Year Patent Dispute
Good news: Apple Watches sold in the U.S. after January 2024 lost their built-in blood oxygen tracking because of a patent dispute with medical company Masimo, but the feature will return via a software update coming out today. In a Newsroom post, Apple says it's introducing a 'redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for some Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.' The reworked blood oxygen feature will be pushed out on iPhone and Apple Watch via an iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 software update. 'Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app.' Apple also added, 'There will be no impact to Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the original Blood Oxygen feature, nor to Apple Watch units purchased outside of the U.S.' Neither Apple nor Masimo has shared full details on how blood oxygen tracking is returning to impacted Apple Watches. 'This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling,' writes the iPhone maker. Blood oxygen tracking was disabled on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 after Masimo sued Apple in 2020 for infringing on its health monitoring patents. At the center of the lawsuit was how the Apple Watch measured pulse oximetry via noninvasive sensors, which led to Apple disabling blood oxygen monitoring in smartwatches shipped to the U.S. The hardware sensors were still present on all shipping Apple Watches; the feature was only disabled in software, leaving open the possibility for some future resolution. Five years after being sued and 1.5 years after shipping disabled Apple Watches to the U.S., blood oxygen is returning. The timing couldn't be better for the tech giant. The company is less than a month out from announcing new Apple Watches—likely Series 11 and possibly Ultra 3—alongside a family of iPhone 17 devices and maybe even new AirPods with a live translation feature. Somewhere at Apple Park, Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams, who led Apple Watch design but is leaving by the end of the year, are cracking open some tall boys in celebration. This story is developing…
Fox News
15 minutes ago
- Fox News
'Carnivore babies' diet trend takes off on social media
The Proper Human Diet creator Dr. Ken Berry joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss parents turning to carnivore diets for babies.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dialogue to Launch Comprehensive Women's and Family Health Care
A new standard of care, with access to trained clinicians in minutes MONTREAL, Aug. 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Dialogue Health Technologies Inc. ("Dialogue"), Canada's premier virtual healthcare and wellness platform, announced the upcoming launch of a comprehensive Women's and Family Health offering. Fully built in-house and seamlessly integrated within its platform, this new service deepens Dialogue's ongoing commitment to supporting the health needs of all women, through every stage of life. The rollout will commence in January 2026, beginning with specialized menopause care, which addresses a critical need in women's healthcare. Dialogue's innovative Women's and Family Health offering will provide evidence-based, whole-person care from trusted women's health clinicians, supporting all women and families through life's most important transitions. This program will offer employees and their dependents access to an in-house team of multidisciplinary clinicians trained in women's health, along with coaching and navigation support, personalized care plans, and educational resources, all delivered through Dialogue's Integrated Health Platform. "Women's health has always been a priority at Dialogue, and this launch marks an important step towards delivering more inclusive, targeted care that meets the diverse needs of women and their families," said Swati Matta, Head of Women's Health at Dialogue. "This isn't just an expansion of our services, it's a reflection of our commitment to ensure all women have access to timely, comprehensive care that is centred on their unique needs." Inequities in women's health affect a broad and diverse population, often intensified by intersecting factors such as race, ethnicity, income, disability, and geography. Many in these groups experience conditions that are poorly understood, underfunded, or overlooked. According to the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute's 2024 report, part of this is due to inadequate training for healthcare practitioners in understanding and addressing gender-specific health conditions, but also in recognizing how common diseases can present and respond differently in women. Menopause will be the first area of focus. 3 in 4 women experience menopause symptoms that interfere with their daily lives, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and cognitive challenges, causing 1 in 10 to leave the workforce. These services will be delivered by Dialogue clinicians who will complete robust training, including attending the scientific conference organized by the Menopause Society of Canada. This forms the foundation of a specialized menopause care program, developed with oversight from Dialogue's medical team to ensure that care is evidence-based, patient-centred, standardized, monitored, and continuously improved. "We recognize the very real needs in women's health, and I'm proud to see Dialogue taking meaningful, proactive steps to close them. Providing healthcare practitioners with evidence-based education on perimenopause and menopause is essential to ensuring that all women receive the comprehensive care they deserve," shares Dr Stephanie Moynihan, Assistant Medical Director at Dialogue. "As a physician, I've seen firsthand how vital it is to offer care that addresses the full picture: physical, mental, and emotional, rather than treating issues in isolation. This is a critical step forward." Reducing stigma around women's health, especially in the workplace, begins with a more integrated and inclusive approach to care. As expectations around employee well-being continue to grow, companies must move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and take a more meaningful approach to well-being. About Dialogue Dialogue is Canada's premier virtual healthcare and wellness platform, providing affordable, on-demand access to quality care. Through its team of health professionals, it serves employers and organizations who have an interest in the health and well-being of their employees, members and their families. Dialogue's Integrated Health Platform™ is a one-stop healthcare hub that centralizes all programs in a single, user-friendly application, providing access to services 24 hours per day, 365 days per year from the convenience of a smartphone, computer or tablet. Dialogue is the first virtual care provider to receive Accreditation with Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada, a third-party validation of safety and the highest-level quality of care. In October 2023, Sun Life acquired Dialogue, which now operates as a standalone entity as part of Sun Life Canada. For more information, please visit the Company's website at SOURCE Dialogue Health Technologies Inc. View original content to download multimedia:
