JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting eight new human cases of West Nile virus, the lowest total in months.
Two new cases were reported in Perry County, while one new case apiece was reported in Adams, Jones, Lincoln, Rankin, Perry, Sunflower and Washington counties.
The state has now reported 233 cases and five deaths this year. It's the highest-ever number of West Nile cases reported in Mississippi, which has suffered one of the highest 2012 per-capita rates of the disease of any state.
The number of cases has been slowly falling in recent weeks with cooler, drier weather.
In 2011, Mississippi had 52 West Nile virus cases and five deaths. The Health Department only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the public.
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Online:
Mississippi State Department of Health, http://www.HealthyMS.com/westnile
