BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed the state's first human case of West Nile virus of the 2026 mosquito season and is urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

An individual from Ouachita Parish has contracted the virus, LDH announced on Friday.

"Every year, West Nile virus reminds us that mosquito bites can sometimes lead to serious illness," said Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein in a prepared statement. "The good news is that a few simple steps, like using insect repellent and eliminating standing water, can significantly reduce your risk."

West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes and can cause mild to severe illnesses. While most people infected with West Nile virus develop no symptoms, about 20% of infected people develop West Nile fever. West Nile fever is a flu-like illness with symptoms that can include fever, headaches, body aches, nausea and rashes.

A small percentage of infected people develop West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a severe illness that affects the central nervous system and can result in hospitalization or even death. Symptoms can include high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, muscle weakness, numbness, coma and paralysis. These symptoms may last for weeks and result in permanent neurological damage or death.

West Nile virus has been actively spreading throughout Louisiana since its first detection in the state in 2002. In 2025, there were 86 confirmed human cases of WNV in Louisiana, including four deaths.

Local mosquito abatement districts across Louisiana routinely test mosquito populations for West Nile to monitor disease activity. To date in 2026, the virus has been detected in mosquito pool samples in 13 parishes.

LDH officials are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites by wearing an EPA-registered mosquito repellent to exposed skin when spending time outdoors—and not applying under clothing or on broken skin. If using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.

Residents should also eliminate standing water around the home by emptying or removing anything that could collect standing water, including buckets, flowerpots, toys, wheelbarrows, trash cans and plastic wading pools. Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected on property, as this is a common place for mosquitoes to breed, LDH officials warn. 

Visit the CDC's Fight the Bite for more tips on preventing mosquito-borne diseases.