Georgia's first West Nile virus death of 2026 raises the stakes for Roswell, where mosquito traps at two city parks tested positive for the virus earlier this month.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) announced the death Wednesday, Sept. 16, along with eight confirmed human infections statewide. The department said it expects more cases as mosquito season continues through October.

State officials have not released details about the death, including when or where it occurred, CBS News Atlanta reported.

Mosquito traps at Roswell Area Park and Garrard Landing Park tested positive for West Nile on Sept. 1, prompting a Fulton County contractor to spray both sites that week. Follow-up tests at both parks came back negative by Sept. 11, according to Patch.

But the virus remains active across Fulton County. The county is among at least three where traps have tested positive, along with Chatham and DeKalb, according to the DPH press release. 11Alive reported at least three positive traps in Fulton alone. Beyond the two Roswell parks, a trap at Chastain Park in Atlanta also tested positive around Sept. 9. Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett said that trap had tested positive in July as well, Atlanta News First reported.

Case counts are climbing fast. The Georgia Recorder reported four confirmed human cases on Sept. 10. Six days later, DPH put the total at eight.

Elmer Gray, a public health specialist at the University of Georgia who studies mosquito control, told the Georgia Recorder on Sept. 10 that West Nile kills about 130 people a year in the United States. "From an entomological standpoint, we consider those preventable deaths," Gray said.

There is no vaccine for West Nile virus, according to Dr. Robin Dretler, an infectious disease specialist at Emory Healthcare. The virus spreads through Culex mosquitoes, which are most active between dusk and dawn.

DPH said the elderly, people with compromised immune systems and those with underlying medical conditions face the greatest risk of severe complications, including infection of the central nervous system.

CDC data shows Georgia recorded 18 West Nile cases in 2025. Nationally, the virus caused 2,146 infections and 172 deaths that same year.

DPH recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus and wearing light-colored, loose-fitting long sleeves and pants outdoors. After every rainfall, or at least once a week, residents should drain standing water from flowerpots, planters, children's toys, wading pools and buckets.