A Gastonia man has just become the first person in the state to contract the deadly West Nile virus.
In a press release sent out today, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said the Gaston County resident is the state’s first confirmed human case of West Nile virus of 2026. Officials also identified the virus in a Mecklenburg County blood donor during routine screening. No additional details about either person have been released.
The announcement comes as health officials continue finding the virus in local mosquito populations. In recent weeks, mosquito samples collected in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Forsyth counties have all tested positive for West Nile virus…