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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is reporting its first human case of West Nile virus for 2016, and the state Department of Health says it is the first in the nation this year.
The department said Friday that the case of the mosquito-borne virus is in Lamar County, and the Centers for Disease Control confirms it is the first in the U.S. this year.
In 2015, Mississippi had 38 West Nile virus cases, and one of those people died. The Health Department only releases statistics about laboratory-confirmed cases.
A Health Department news release says symptoms of infection are often mild and may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, a rash, muscle weakness or swollen lymph nodes. In a small number of cases, infection can result in encephalitis or meningitis, which can lead to paralysis, coma and possibly death.
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