West Nile virus, a disease that is typically transmitted to people by mosquitos that have fed on blood from infected birds, has so far killed four California residents in 2025, including three in the San Joaquin Valley.

Tim Sheehan

Central Valley Journalism Collaborative

In the Valley, West Nile deaths have been confirmed in Tulare, Fresno and Kings counties. The death of another person was attributed to West Nile in Butte County, in northern California.

The most recent of the fatalities was confirmed Oct. 2 in Kings County.

The San Joaquin Valley has become something of a hot spot for West Nile virus infections in California in 2025, according to the California Department of Public Health. Of at least 56 reported human infections confirmed statewide through late September, 44 of them

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