South Heartland District Health Department

Health Department: Mosquito season is not over

September 11, 2026

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Hastings, Nebraska – The district health department for Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties is notifying residents that more mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus and Cache Valley virus were trapped in the Hastings area on September 1, 2026.

South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) executive director Michele Bever stated that mosquito season is still active. “We encourage residents across all four of our counties to ‘Fight the Bite’ to prevent illnesses carried by mosquitoes.”

Bever reported that 5 samples (pools) of mosquitoes collected from two sites in Adams County on September 1, 2026, tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) and one sample from one site in Adams County tested positive for Cache Valley Virus (CVV). The department had previously reported WNV-positive and Cache Valley virus-positive mosquitoes trapped on July 21, and WNV-positive mosquitoes trapped on August 4 and 19.

To date in 2026, a total of 19 cases of West Nile infection have been identified in Nebraskans through clinical positive results. A map of West Nile virus human clinical cases by local health department is available on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services webpage at https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/West-Nile-Virus-Data.aspx.

“You can reduce your risk of becoming infected with WNV or CVV by reducing exposure to mosquito bites,” Bever said. “‘Fight the bite’ by using an EPA-registered repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, especially outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.”

Bever said residents should continue making efforts to reduce sites for mosquitoes to breed by draining standing water every few days. Items or surfaces that collect or hold water, such as bird baths, child swimming pools, pet bowls, tires, or flower pots can become mosquito breeding sites, if not drained periodically.

According to Hastings Parks and Recreation director, Jeff Hassenstab, the City of Hastings is continuing to provide mosquito control efforts in areas of high mosquito counts, in the evening and early morning time frames, when weather allows.

Nebraska local health departments partner with the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services (NDHHS) to trap and test mosquitoes in the counties designated by NDHHS. Adams County is the designated trapping county in the South Heartland health district, which includes Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties. Trapping occurs every other week, typically ending in late September. For more information, visit southheartlandhealth.ne.gov or call 1-877-238-7595; or visit the NDHHS webpage for West Nile Virus & Mosquito Surveillance Data: dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/West-Nile-Virus-Data.aspx.

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