A Mississippi pastor says he is alive by the grace of God after a single mosquito bite led to a near-fatal battle with West Nile Virus (WNV). After being rushed to King’s Daughters Medical Center, Gaughf was diagnosed with West Nile encephalitis—a rare, severe neurological complication that affects less than 1% of infected individuals. While Gaughf survived, the virus left him temporarily unable to use his right arm and hand. Local Impact & PreventionThe Mississippi State Department of Health has reported a cluster of positive mosquito samples and human cases in Lincoln County this season. City contractors are actively spraying and trapping mosquitoes, which transmit the virus from infected birds to humans.