AUSTIN (KXAN) — A mosquito trap near a Leander park has tested positive for the West Nile Virus according to the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD).
The trap, located by Devine Lake Park, is first positive trap in 2025 mosquito season in the county. There was one human case of West Nile in the county earlier this year.
Mosquito samples collected by WCCHD are sent to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) lab in Austin. This positive test was indicated by lab results from DSHS on Aug. 5.
The West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease, and it is commonly spread by the bite of an infected mosquito.
As of Aug. 5, the CDC reported 140 cases of human cases of West Nile in 2025 in the United States. Twelve of those cases are in Texas. In 2024, the CDC reported 176 human cases of West Nile in Texas.
In late July, the Hays County Health Department reported a human case of West Nile Virus. A former KXAN employee said he was the patient, and he said his symptoms worsened after he felt unwell a few days at the beginning of July.
“By the third week, I was feeling really unwell, with fevers, headaches and just having no energy,” he continued. “It was really exhausting, because getting those fevers: it felt like my brain was cooking. It was really, really unpleasant.”