How West Nile Virus Returns To Oklahoma After Storm Season

Just like clockwork, as soon as Oklahoma meteorologists promised the 2025 storm season was over, epidemiologists have confirmed that West Nile Virus is back in the Sooner State.

Thanks to all of the rain Oklahoma has had this spring, West Nile-carrying mosquitoes are back with a vengeance.

While traps in 2024 flagged infection risks in Tulsa, 2025 is showing an uptick across a broader area. Two cases have already been reported in the Oklahoma City Metro.

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Who is at risk of West Nile?

Even though we've lived with WNV for the better part of two decades now, it's still a serious threat to some individuals. One Oklahoman died from an infection last year down in SWOK.

Experts say most people, the majority, are asymptomatic and show no signs of infection.

1 in 5 will experience West Nile Fever - fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, butt stuff, and/or a rash.

Severe cases - 1 in 150 - can have WNV escalate into encephalitis or meningitis. While rare, it's most common in adults aged over 50, people with diabetes or hypertension. The worst of whom can develop stiffness, disorientation, tremors, paralysis, seizures, and even slip into a coma.

How to avoid West Nile in Oklahoma

As we're now entering prime Lake Day season, we'll have to share nature with all sorts of critters, mosquitoes come with the fun.

The CDC recommends using repellents like DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or natural oil of lemon eucalyptus, especially at dusk and dawn when they're most active. Grandma always soaked us in Avon something-or-other. Not sure if it worked or not, but she did.

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Even though it's extremely hot this time of year, they recommend wearing long sleeves and pants in the morning and evening.

Also, it's a good time to seal up the house. Repair any broken windows or torn door screens, and clean your gutters. Ensure doors are sealing up tight to prevent the insects from finding a way into your home. Also, make sure you don't have any standing water in the yard. If you do, but it's intentional, there are mosquito tablets you can plop in to eliminate them.

Things People Really Don't Like About Living in Oklahoma

Truth be told, there are no perfect places to live anywhere on this planet. Every place has its own pros and cons, and Oklahoma is no different. While the majority of Okies overwhelmingly enjoy living in our state, it's not without some very common complaints. Here are the biggest reasons people really don't like living in Oklahoma.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Oklahoma's Best BBQ Joints

Nothing in Oklahoma is debated more passionately than who makes the best BBQ. While they all smoke meat, there are some huge differences in how that process is done. Type of wood, length of cook, foil vs paper wrap, and even the hot topics of seasoning, binders, and sauce come into play. What you like others may not, and vice versa. Since we can't just pick a top five or ten, here are the Oklahoma BBQ joints that have the biggest fans.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

13 Popular Foods Sold in Oklahoma that May Be Linked to Cancer

Red 3 is a known carcinogen, and while the FDA has recently banned it, it won't be phased out completely until 2027. You can read about the health effects here, but these are the common Oklahoma products that contain the banned artificial color.

Gallery Credit: Kelso