JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi State Department of Health has confirmed its second human case of West Nile virus this year.
The case is in Rankin County. The first case was reported in Forrest County.
The state epidemiologist, Dr. Paul Byers, in a news release Wednesday notes that people throughout the state are at risk of the disease and should be protecting themselves against mosquito bites.
The department reports only laboratory-confirmed cases to the public. In 2016, Mississippi had 43 cases of West Nile virus, including two deaths.
Most people infected with the virus never show any symptoms. Some develop a flu-like disease. A few come down with encephalitis or meningitis, which can lead to paralysis, coma and even death.
