Human cases of West Nile Virus have been identified in 17 Mississippi counties so far in 2023.

The Mississippi State Department of Health released a report on Oct. 31 detailing where cases have been found in the state.

MSDH reports that cases have been identified in Calhoun, Clarke, Forrest, Grenada, Hinds, Humphreys, Jackson, Lamar, Leflore, Lincoln, Madison, Panola, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Rankin and Sunflower counties.

In all, 34 human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported. Multiple cases have been reported in Hinds (6 cases), Madison (4), Rankin (4), Panola (3), Clarke (2), Jackson (2), Prentiss (2) and Sunflower (2) counties.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. Cases of virus occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall.

In 2022, Mississippi had seven human cases of West Nile virus with one death.