First 2024 death from West Nile Virus reported

Aug. 15, 2024 – The Mississippi State Department of Health has confirmed the first death from a human case of West Nile Virus in the state this year. The MSDH does not provide details of the specific age, gender, or location of the death out of respect and privacy for the family, but the patient in this case had several underlying health conditions.

There have been a total of 17 human cases of West Nile Virus reported in the state so far this year. A list of county-by-county cases can be found on the MSDH website at msdh.ms.gov/page/14,0,93,1041.html. (It should be noted the table indicated a West Nile Virus death was listed from Madison County.)

West Nile Virus is transmitted primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito.