West Nile Virus | National Invasive Species Information Center

Scientific Name

Orthoflavivirus nilense (ICTV 2023)

Common Name

West Nile Virus (WNV)

Native To

First discovered in Africa (Roehrig 2013)

Date of U.S. Introduction

1999 (Roehrig 2013)

Means of Introduction

Unknown (Roehrig 2013)

Impact

Infects birds and mammals (including humans). West Nile virus is primarily an avian pathogen, and is transmitted among birds by ornithophilic (bird-biting) mosquitoes; including the Asian tiger mosquito and other mosquito species (Hayes et al. 2005)

Current U.S. Distribution

Most of U.S.

USGS Wildlife Veterinarian testing for the West Nile Virus USGS, National Wildlife Health Center DOI. USGS. Newsroom.

Find more images

Google Images - West Nile Virus

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

West Nile Virus - Data & Maps
- DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Includes final annual and cumulative maps and data from 1999 to 2024.

Videos

YouTube - About West Nile Virus
- Google. YouTube; Johns Hopkins University. Bloomberg School of Public Health.
YouTube - Mosquito Meets MODIS: South Dakota Fights West Nile Virus
- Google. YouTube; National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

All Resources

View and Filter All West Nile Virus Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Partnership

Fact Sheets - West Nile Virus
- Jul 2011
- UN. World Health Organization.
Global Invasive Species Database - West Nile Virus (micro-organism)
- IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Species Compendium - West Nile Virus
- CAB International.

Federal Government

Diseases & Conditions - West Nile Virus
- DHHS. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
State & Territorial Health Department Websites
- DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Provides links and resources for State Health Departments, many of which have information about Zika virus and West Nile virus with specific state information.
Vector Borne Diseases - West Nile Virus
- DOI. USGS. National Wildlife Health Center.
West Nile Virus
- DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State and Local Government

Animal Health - West Nile Virus
- North Dakota Department of Agriculture.
California West Nile Virus Website
- California Department of Health Services; California Department of Food and Agriculture; Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California; California Vectorborne Disease Surveillance System.
Disease Facts and Data - West Nile Virus
- King County Public Health (Washington).
Diseases Listing - West Nile Virus
- Hawaii State Department of Health. Disease Outbreak Control Division.
Health Topics - West Nile Virus
- New York City Department of Health.
Michigan Emerging Disease Issues - West Nile Virus
- State of Michigan.
West Nile Virus
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife Diseases - West Nile Virus
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife Health - West Nile Virus
- Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Academic

Disease Fact Sheet - West Nile Virus
- Apr 2021
- University of Pennsylvania. School of Veterinary Medicine. Wildlife Futures Program.
- See also: Disease Fact Sheets created for use by wildlife biologists, researchers, and the public
Animal Disease Information - West Nile Virus
- Iowa State University. Center for Food Security and Public Health.
Disease Fact Sheet - West Nile Virus
- Cornell University. Cornell Wildlife Health Lab.
Introduced Species Summary Project - West Nile Virus
- Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.

Professional

Diseases & Conditions: West Nile Virus
- Cleveland Clinic.

Citations

Hayes E.B, N. Komar, R.S. Nasc, S.P. Montgomery, D.R. O'Leary, G.L. Campbell. 2005. Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of West Nile virus disease. Emerging Infectious Diseases 11(8):1167-1173.