Three new cases of Zika reported in Mississippi

Three new cases of the Zika virus were reported in Mississippi on Monday, bringing the total for the year to eight.

According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, the newest cases were residents from Chickasaw, Hinds and Rankin counties who recently traveled to St. Thomas, Nicaragua and Guatemala — all areas where the virus is more prevalent.

Last week, two cases were reported in DeSoto and Madison counties in individuals who had gone to Jamaica and Guatemala. The other three earlier cases were also travel-related, the health department said.

According to health officials, Mississippi’s environment can support the Aedes aegypti breed of mosquito that is spreading Zika, but it has not been detected in the state since the early 1990s.

This story was originally published July 11, 2016 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Three new cases of Zika reported in Mississippi."