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Louisiana Has 4th Highest Rate of West Nile in the Country, Health Officials Urge Public to Protect Themselves

Louisiana – On September 21, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) reported that according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Louisiana has the fourth-highest rate of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease (NID) in the US. The Louisiana Department of Health on September 21, 2022. The Louisiana Department of Health encourages residents to continue taking precautions against mosquito bites, which can transmit the illness.

This year, Louisiana has reported 33 NID cases and three West Nile fever cases.

In Louisiana, five people with NID have died.

This represents a huge increase over the previous three years, with 10 cases at this time in 2021, 5 cases in 2020, and 6 cases in 2019. However, it is comparable to the 2017 and 2018 seasons, which had 29 and 48 instances at this time, respectively.

LDH continues to receive reports of a large number of mosquito pools positive for West Nile virus, with 914 positive mosquito pools reported as of September 17, 2022. In 2021, just 409 positive mosquito pools were reported. This suggests that the risk of West Nile virus remains very high.

While the danger of West Nile virus infection is high throughout Louisiana, the Northshore has seen a disproportionate number of reported human cases and positive mosquito pools.

Because of the high number of cases, positive pool samples, and the heightened danger of the West Nile virus spreading to humans, LDH is advising the public to avoid mosquito bites.

“Most cases of West Nile fever go unreported, because individuals with mild fevers or flu-like illness are less likely to seek medical care or testing,” said State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter. “That said, neuroinvasive disease from West Nile virus can be a devastating condition for some, with the potential for debilitating, life-long ramifications. While we are in the height of season, I urge families across the state to take the simple steps of protecting themselves from mosquito bites and turning over any containers holding standing water around the outside of the house, which can serve as breeding sites for these mosquitoes.”

The West Nile virus is carried by mosquitos and can infect humans and animals. Most West Nile virus infections are asymptomatic, with only around 20% of cases progressing to West Nile fever and 1% progressing to NID.

West Nile virus is a flu-like infection with symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rashes. A tiny number of patients infected with West Nile virus can develop West Nile neuroinvasive illness or West Nile encephalitis, which can lead to hospitalization and death. High fever, stiff neck, confusion, muscle weakness, numbness, coma, and paralysis are all possible symptoms.

Tips to protect yourself against West Nile

If you will be outside, you should wear EPA-registered approved mosquito repellent and always follow product label instructions.

• Apply repellent on exposed skin and clothing, but do not apply under your clothes or on broken skin.
• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.
• To protect yourself from being exposed to mosquitos while indoors, make sure that windows and doors are tight-fitting and that all screens are free of holes.

Protecting your home from mosquitoes

• Reduce the mosquito population by eliminating standing water around your home, which is where mosquitoes breed.
• Dispose of tin cans, ceramic pots and other unnecessary containers that have accumulated on your property that may collect water. Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys or anything that could collect water.
• Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers. If a recycling container has holes on the sides, there is still room for the container to collect water for mosquitoes to breed, so holes should be added on the bottom if not already present.
• Check and clean roof gutters routinely. Clogged gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each season.
• Water gardens and ornamental pools can become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate. Take steps to prevent stagnation, such as adding fish or aeration.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used. A swimming pool that is left untended by a family for a little as a month can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.
• Contact local mosquito abatement districts to report mosquito problem areas.

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