BATON ROUGE (AP) — The 31 most recent West Nile infections in Louisiana included one death, bringing this year's totals to
176 reported infections and 10 deaths from the virus, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals says.
These cases are not related to Hurricane
Isaac because it takes up to two weeks for an infection to develop after
a bite and
weeks longer before it is confirmed and reported to the health
department. There also was a delay in reporting because the
storm closed health care facilities and pushed public health
laboratory staff into hurricane response activities, officials
said last week.
"During a hurricane, floodwater washes out
stagnant water and disrupts mosquito breeding. It's the coming weeks
that pose
a health threat, as standing water collects and more people head
outside to clean up after the storm," said DHH Secretary
Bruce D. Greenstein. "Also, as people resume their daily
activities and the weather gets cooler, they will start spending
more time outside for tailgating, football games and cookouts.
This makes them more at risk for mosquito bites and West Nile.
Take the steps to protect yourself and your family from this
disease."
Louisiana, like much of the country, is
seeing the highest number of West Nile cases and deaths in years. The
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention says that as of Sept. 4, state
health departments had reported 1,993 cases — the highest number
reported through the first week in September since the virus was
first detected in the United States in 1999. Over 70 percent
of the cases were in six states: Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi,
Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Michigan, with nearly 45 percent
of the total reported from Texas.
Nine out of 10 people bitten by an infected mosquito won't have any symptoms. Those cases are typically detected when someone
donates blood or has routine medical tests. Most of the people who do get ill will have a flu-like fever. But the disease
can infect the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage.
Of the 31 new West Nile cases reported last week, 10 were the dangerous neuroinvasive disease: two each in Caddo and East
Baton Rouge parishes, and one each in Ascension, Bossier, Jefferson, Madison, Rapides and Webster parishes.
Sixteen patients had West Nile fever: four each from Caddo, Calcasieu and East Baton Rouge parishes, and one each in Ascension,
Bossier, Iberville and Webster parishes. The other five — two in Caddo and one each in Catahoula, Jefferson and West Baton
Rouge parishes — did not have any symptoms.
The 176 cases include 88 classified as neuroinvasive cases and 59 of West Nile fever.
The most active year for West Nile cases in Louisiana was 2002, when the state experienced 328 cases and 24 deaths.
The elderly and people who have weakened immune systems are most at risk for developing neuroinvasive disease, but anyone
bitten by a mosquito can contract West Nile and develop neuroinvasive disease.
"We know from 10 years of tracking West Nile
that this virus is in every corner of our state," Greenstein said.
"Don't let
your guard down. Even if you live in a parish that didn't get rain
and flooding during Hurricane Isaac, you are still at risk
for this disease. Everyone, regardless of their age or where they
live, needs to fight the bite."
Online: www.dhh.louisiana.gov/FighttheBite