West Nile virus found in Bernalillo County mosquitoes, officials warn
Infected mosquitoes were trapped near the Rio Grande in Bernalillo County, a warning sign as monsoon moisture begins and West Nile risk rises for older adults and people with chronic illness.
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus were found in Bernalillo County after routine trapping near the Rio Grande, and health officials say the detection should push households to clear standing water and guard against bites now.
The New Mexico Department of Health said the infected mosquitoes were confirmed by the University of New Mexico Center for Global Health. City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County crews run a joint mosquito control program that tracks mosquito activity across the county and treats problem areas, giving officials an early read on where virus-carrying insects are moving.
Erin Phipps, the state public health veterinarian, said the trapping and testing network is meant to serve as an early warning system. Nick Pederson, manager of the city’s Urban Biology division, said mosquitoes are not widespread right now because of dry conditions, but they remain concentrated in wet areas, a concern as the monsoon season starts to add pools of standing water around neighborhoods, yards and drainage spots.
No human West Nile cases had been reported in New Mexico as of the June 23 alert, but the state saw 52 human cases and 11 deaths in 2025. New Mexico has had West Nile cases every year since 2003, and public health officials say the virus usually peaks here in July and August, with late summer and early fall bringing the highest risk of illness.
People age 50 and older and those with other health problems are at higher risk for serious disease or death. Early symptoms can include headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. In rare cases, the infection can progress to meningitis or encephalitis, making the county’s mosquito detections more than a routine summer nuisance for many families.
Officials are urging residents to use EPA-approved repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol. They also say to wear long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active, and to dump standing water from tires, cans, birdbaths, wading pools, pet bowls and rain barrels before mosquitoes can breed.
The county has seen this pattern before. New Mexico recorded 27 human West Nile cases in 2024, and Bernalillo County reported two positive human cases that year, underscoring how mosquito detections can precede infections and why the first positive pools near the Rio Grande matter now.
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