The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is confirming one new human case of West Nile virus (WNV). The reported case is in Rankin County.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

So far this year, WNV cases have been reported in Hinds (1), Newton (1), and Rankin (1) counties. The MSDH only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the public. In 2013, Mississippi had 45 WNV cases and five deaths.

The MSDH is also reporting a new case of chikungunya virus in a Mississippi resident. The case occurred in a resident who recently returned from the Dominican Republic. This is the fifth chikungunya case reported in a Mississippi resident. The four cases previously reported occurred in travelers to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

“We are now in the traditional peak season for West Nile in Mississippi, while more cases of chikungunya continue to be reported as Mississippi residents return from travel to Caribbean countries. This is an important reminder that you should protect yourself from all mosquito-borne illnesses,” said MSDH State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs.