State health officials say Mississippi has recorded its first 2008 death related to the West Nile virus.

The Mississippi State Department of Health said the victim was a resident of Forrest County. No additional information, including the person's name, has been made public.

MSDH officials also report two additional human cases of the mosquito-borne virus, bringing the state's total number for the year to 17. The new cases are in Forrest and Neshoba counties. The health agency reports both confirmed and probable cases to the public.

The Board of Animal Health has also notified MSDH of one additional case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a mosquito-transmitted illness that can affect humans, in a horse in Stone County.