The number of confirmed West Nile virus cases in 2025 marks Minnesota’s worst outbreak since 2003, when the state recorded 148 cases.
Elizabeth Schiffman is an epidemiologist supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Health…
“This year, you know, we’re currently at over 100 cases. We’re still kind of following up on reports, although they’ve slowed down. So it’s just been a year where all the elements came together really well. Unfortunately, to create conditions that really favored a lot of disease.”
Schiffman says 10 deaths were also reported. A hot, rainy summer that lingered into an unusually warm September created ideal conditions for mosquitoes to flourish well beyond their typical season.
(content: courtesy MNN)
