Today the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) confirms the death of a Forrest County resident from West Nile virus (WNV), the third Mississippi death from WNV in 2014. New human cases have also been confirmed in Hinds (2) and Lauderdale counties.
Image/CDC
So far this year, a total of 18 human WNV cases have been reported in the following counties: Adams (2), Bolivar (1), Covington (1), Forrest (1), Hinds (4), Lauderdale (1), Madison (1), Newton (1), Rankin (4), Yazoo (1), and Wilkinson (1) counties. WNV deaths have occurred in Forrest, Madison, and Yazoo counties.
The MSDH only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the public. In 2013, Mississippi had 45 WNV cases and five deaths. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
As of September 2, a total of 44 states and the District of Columbia have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. Overall, 399 cases of West Nile virus disease in people have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of these, 214 (54%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 185 (46%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. 16 deaths have been reported to the CDC.
