Mississippi public health & animal health officials announced the first identification of West Nile Virus in Mississippi on Sept. 19.

A horse from western Lee County has been found infected with West Nile virus (WNV) virus by testing performed through the State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Initial tests on a second horse from the same area suggest WNV infection; confirmatory testing at the national level is pending.

In addition, numerous dead blue jays have been found in Tupelo. Blue jays are among the most susceptible birds to WNV. Testing of a number of these birds is in progress & will take at least several days. Shelby County, Tennessee this week reported state-level WNV confirmations in birds.

No human case of West Nile virus infection has been identified so far in Mississippi