Is Google responsible for mosquito outbreak? | SDN

New York City health officials have confirmed the city's first case of brain-swelling West Nile virus this year. It's the city's first case of West Nile virus so far in 2026, with 222 cases reported nationwide, primarily in Arizona, Texas and California. According to the health department, mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are present in NYC every year from June through October, with peak season between August and September. The city said it has intensified mosquito surveillance and expanded control efforts after detecting the virus in mosquito samples in all five boroughs since June, twice as many samples as last summer. While most patients have few or mild symptoms, about one in 150 suffer potentially life-threatening brain swelling, along with infections and paralysis.