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Diseases A-Z
West Nile virus
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus (WNV) is carried by mosquitoes and can infect humans, horses, and birds.
How can I get WNV?
Humans can only get the virus from the bite of an infected mosquito; the disease does not spread from other animals to humans, or from person to person.
What are the symptoms of WNV?
Most infections are mild, with fever and flu-like symptoms, but severe infections may cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and rarely, death.
How can WNV be prevented?
- Avoid mosquito bites.
- Mosquito-proof your home by draining standing water where mosquitoes breed.
- Help your community by reporting dead birds to reduce your risk for becoming sick.
Oregon Health Services working with local health departments, mosquito control districts and other agencies to detect and test for the presence of WNV. To learn more, see the WNV activity, WNV Emergency Response Plan, and WNV prevention and education pages.
For more information on West Nile Virus in Oregon, see the WNV news page.
Toll-free information line: 1-866-703-4636
For Avian Influenza, Hepatitis C and West Nile Virus
Disease reporting
Health care providers and clinical laboratories are required to report cases and suspect cases of West Nile virus, and veterinarians are required to report horses with the appropriate clinical signs. See the WNV testing and reporting page for more information. Our disease reporting page provides general information on how to report and telephone numbers of local health departments.
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