By admin 
Four people in the Midlands and two in the Lowcountry have been diagnosed with West Nile virus, an illness spread by mosquito bites, the South Carolina Department of Public Health announced Aug. 26.
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The department has formally declared an outbreak in the area, as the cases have been diagnosed within a short timeframe and nearby each other.
The news comes a few weeks after Richland County first confirmed it had identified West Nile in area mosquitos this season, which it announced Aug. 5. West Nile is naturally present in South Carolina, and cases typically peak in late summer and early fall, officials have said.
The vast majority of West Nile cases nationwide occur in August and September, according to national data.
The State Newspaper has contacted the health department for more information about the confirmed cases.
Most people won’t get seriously sick
Most people who are infected with the virus show no symptoms at all, and about 1 in 5 will become ill, according to the S.C. Department of Public Health. Those people will show symptoms within two to 14 days, and can experience fever, headache, joint and muscle paint, and occasionally nausea and vomiting, the health department adds. In less than 1% of infected people, the virus enters the brain and can cause meningitis and encephalitis.
Between 1999, when the illness was first identified in the U.S., and 2025, there have been more than 63,000 West Nile cases, and just over 3,300 deaths. The vast majority of those deaths were in the rare cases where the virus had reached the brain or spinal cord, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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There is no vaccine or proven treatment for West Nile virus, and experts say the best way to keep safe from the illness is to take preventive measures. This is what the SC Department of Public Health suggests:
- Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon, eucalyptus, IR 3535, or 2-Undecanone according to label instructions. Repellents help keep mosquitoes from biting.
- Wear clothing that reduces the risk of skin exposure.
- Mosquitoes can bite any time of night or day, especially in shade. Early mornings and late afternoons are peak biting times for day-active mosquitoes, whereas night-active mosquitoes bite more often at dawn and dusk. Avoid exposure during these times and in these areas. Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep mosquitoes out.
- on your property, including any water-holding containers, such as flowerpots, tires, rain gutters and pet bowls.
West Nile was named for the district in Uganda where the disease was first isolated, but it’s been endemic, meaning constantly present, in the U.S. for decades.
Columbia, Richland spraying for mosquitos
The city of Columbia and Richland County each have mosquito control programs. Those include spraying areas with pesticides, and reducing and spraying standing water where mosquitos breed.
Beekeepers and people with allergies to permethrin, deltamethrin or tau-fluvalinate in Columbia should contact the city at 803-545-4229 or email [email protected] to ask for precautions. Beekeepers in the county are advised to contact the county’s Ombudsman at 803-929-6000. The county maps all known beehives each March.
Spraying typically occurs between midnight and dawn, and may start earlier depending on weather or other conditions.
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