On Aug. 15, 2024, the Oakland County Health Division in Pontiac, Michigan urged residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites after three birds and the county’s first mosquito pool of 2024 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). No confirmed human cases of WNV had occurred in the county to-date. 

WNV is a mosquito-borne virus. Mosquitoes are infected with the virus by biting an infected bird. The virus is then spread to humans through the bite of the infected mosquito. Most people who are infected with the virus have either no symptoms or experience a mild illness such as fever, headache, and body aches. However, some individuals experience a more serious disease-causing inflammation and swelling of the brain can develop. People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening symptoms.