Colorado health officials reported three more deaths from West Nile today, bringing to 16 the number of state residents who have died from the disease this year.

All three victims were elderly, as have been the previous 13.

The dead were identified as a 76-year-old male resident of Logan County, a 75-year-old man who was a resident of rural Lincoln County, and an 80-year-old Denver man.

The Colorado toll is twice the number in Nebraska, which has the
second-most deaths.

The date of death and cause of death of the Logan County man were not immediately available. The Lincoln County man died September 2nd, and was suffering from encephalitis. The Denver man died August 22nd and was suffering from meningitis.

State Epidemiologist John Pape said the total number of cases in the state reached one-thousand-51 this afternoon. He said the latest deaths were from infections from mid-August, and it is believed the rate of infection will decline as days grow shorter and female mosquitoes prepare for winter.

Officials still urge people to use mosquito repellant when outdoors at dusk or dawn.