First West Nile Virus Death Reported In Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi State Department of Health says a Hinds County resident has died from the West Nile virus. It’s the first human death of 2016.

In addition to the Hinds County death, state Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said two new human cases of West Nile have been reported in Lee and Marion counties, bringing the 2016 total to 18 in Mississippi.

So far this year, human cases of West Nile have been reported in Calhoun, Chickasaw, Copiah (2), Hinds (5), Grenada, Lamar (2), Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Marion, Perry and Rankin counties.