JACKSON, Miss.- Just because the warmer weather is gone, doesn’t mean the threat of West Nile Virus is over.
“We don’t have a crystal ball, so we can’t predict exact times. However, typically with West Nile we see the most cases in August and September,” Director of Communications for the Mississippi State Department of Health Liz Sharlot said.
West Nile is a mosquito born virus that can cause fever, headaches, body aches, skin rashes, and swollen lymph nodes. Most cases go unreported due to extremely mild symptoms, however, others could lead to a coma, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis.
Sharlot said that the peak times for West Nile transmission generally occur between June and September but infection can happen all year.
“I think one year we had one that came in during the winter time. The best advice is just to protect yourself at any time,” said Sharlot.
In 2016, Mississippi has had 26 reported cases of West Nile Virus, and one death.
For a list of tips to protect yourself visit the MSDH website.
