JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – According to Dr. Thomas Dobbs at UMMC, 2024 has been a substantial year for West Nile in Mississippi.

Even though August and September are considered the worst months for the mosquito-borne virus, doctors still want to remind the public of the best ways to protect yourself.

As of October 22nd, 2024, there are 52 reported West Nile cases, including six deaths in Mississippi, with 26 of those cases taking place in Madison, Rankin, and Hinds counties.

So how do you protect yourself?

Some of the best ways to stay protected are using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, avoiding standing water, and taking steps to control mosquitos at your home.

Dr. Dobbs believes more information needs to be readily available on prevention tactics and says prevention is your best choice, with there being no treatments available for more serious cases of West Nile.

“A lot of it really falls upon an individual to be vigilant, because even in locations where we’re doing mosquito control activities, it’s not going to be perfect. You can’t kill every mosquito, so getting the word out, education, knowing the simple steps to avoid West Nile infection is so critical,” said Dr. Dobbs.

He went on to say, “You know, we see that people’s lives are devastated. Some people are left, you know, paralyzed or severely neurologically impaired, or it kills people.”

One person whose life was changed by West Nile Virus is Sandra Jordan. She lives her life in a wheelchair after developing Neuroinvasive West Nile Poliomyelitis, which is a severe form of the virus that can cause paralysis.

She now speaks out on the dangers of the virus and other vector-borne diseases with her non-profit, The Bug Campaign.

Jordan looks to bring more education on these diseases with her non-profit and hopes to help prevent people from getting West Nile before it is too late.

“They are devastating diseases. They are not always devastating diseases, but I always tell people you can’t take the chance, and that’s why I try to advise people to really learn about what you can do to try to protect yourselves. They need to be taken seriously. I know that everyone’s sick of talking about Coronavirus and all the sicknesses, but this is something that is preventable to a large measure if you have the information, and that’s what I seek to do.”

You can find more information on about Jordan’s efforts with The Bug Campaign on their website at https://thebugcampaign.org/.

You can also ask questions directly to Jordan and make donations to the non-profit via email at buginfo@thebugcampaign.org.

More information on West Nile Virus prevention tips can be found at www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/prevention/.

You can also follow the number of cases in Mississippi at www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/data-maps/current-year-data.html.

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