Louisiana is currently in the season we never wanted to be a part of, West Nile Season, and Louisiana’s Department of Health reports nine cases so far and five of those have caused dangerous infections.
The Louisiana Department of Health is putting out an urgent message to Louisianians to protect ourselves against West Nile Virus. Currently, Louisiana has the highest reported amount of West Nile cases in the country.
State health officials say the risk of contracting West Nile virus is expected to rise as water from recent flooding across south Louisiana recedes. The year started off relatively slowly in terms of the number of cases. However, that's where the good news stops.
So far this year, there have been 20 confirmed cases of the West Nile virus in humans in Louisiana. The West Nile virus is transferred from mosquitoes to humans.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has discovered three cases of West Nile Virus. Authorities say they usually see more cases before this time of year.