Metro Nashville's public health team has confirmed the season's first West Nile virus detection after a mosquito trap near Cass Street in North Nashville tested positive, turning a quiet block into an early warning zone for summer. The Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) says it is distributing flyers in the surrounding area, setting extra traps, and applying larvicide at breeding sites while urging neighbors to dump standing water and take basic mosquito-bite precautions. The find follows a year of elevated West Nile activity in Davidson County and serves as a reminder that mosquito season has already clocked in.
What MPHD found and how it's responding
Officials say the virus showed up in a mosquito pool, meaning a batch of mosquitoes collected from a single trap tested positive. Nearby residents are being notified directly. As reported by FOX 17, MPHD's Pest Management team will hand out flyers, increase trapping, and treat standing water with larvicide in areas where larvae are found. Health officials are leaning on targeted inspections and community education rather than broad neighborhood spraying.
Why the city is not spraying adult mosquitoes
The department notes that it does not routinely spray to kill adult mosquitoes and instead focuses on cutting off breeding sites and treating larvae. According to the MPHD Pest Management Services fact sheet, adulticide applications are reserved for declared public health emergencies, while standard responses center on inspections, trapping, and larvicide. That policy is guiding MPHD's response to the Cass Street detection.
How to protect yourself this summer
Health officials recommend limiting time outdoors at dusk and after dark, wearing long sleeves and pants, and using EPA-registered repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines those precautions and notes that most people infected with West Nile have no symptoms, although severe illness can occur in rare cases. Residents who want help spotting potential breeding areas can request a free backyard inspection from MPHD's Pest Management team, according to the department.
Where this fits in recent trends
Local coverage last year documented elevated West Nile activity across Nashville and at least one confirmed human case as officials expanded surveillance and larvicide treatments. NewsChannel 5 reported on the 2025 human infection and on MPHD's multi-site trapping program that helped drive neighborhood notifications. Officials say routine weekly trapping and testing will continue as the 2026 season ramps up.
If you develop fever, headache, body aches, or other flu-like symptoms after possible mosquito exposure, contact your healthcare provider and mention possible West Nile exposure. For free backyard inspections or to report standing water, call the Metro Public Health Department’s Pest Management team at 615-340-5616 or visit the department's online newsroom at Metro Public Health Department for details. MPHD's Lentz Public Health Center is located at 2500 Charlotte Avenue in Nashville.
