Third Death from West Nile Virus in MS

Mississippi has now had three deaths from West Nile Virus this season.  But unlike the first two, in Madison and Calhoun counties, we’re not being told where the latest victim was from…..

“They don’t identify where deaths actually occurred out of respect for the families…”

State Health Department spokesman Greg Flynn says that information wasn’t included in press releases announcing the first two deaths but it was available on the department’s website.   Now, that’s no longer the case….

“West Nile is active throughout the state and (with the information now available) just to know that the death total we have currently is three…”

Flynn says all three deaths involved people with underlying health conditions that made them more susceptible to the effects of the virus which is spread by mosquitoes.

Another change on the Health Department’s website—if a county has had fewer than five West Nile cases, the specific number of cases is no longer being published.  It shows up online as “less than five”….

“That kind of brings us in line with the federal reporting guidelines so it’s uniform throughout the country,” Flynn says.

Locally, there’s been at least one confirmed case of West Nile in Leake County but it’s not clear if there have been others because the total listed on the website is “less than five.”   Statewide, this is already a worse season than last year, with a total of 41 cases and those three deaths, compared to 37 cases and no deaths in 2023. In fact, it’s the most West Nile cases in six years and the most deaths in ten years.