Health Officials Confirm 9 More Cases Of West Nile Virus

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Health officials confirmed Tuesday that West Nile virus is on the rise in Minnesota.

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Health have confirmed nine more cases of West Nile virus. That brings the state's total to 44 for the year, including one death.

Nationwide, nearly 1,600 cases of the mosquito-borne illness have been reported. We're getting near the end of the mosquito season as the summer winds down, less moisture falls and the temperatures slowly fall.

With all that, the number of cases is expected to decline by the end of September.