BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Six more human cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed, bringing the year's total to 10, including two cases of the more serious neuroinvasive disease, state health regulators said Friday.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, in a news release Friday, said the new cases are from East Feliciana, Jefferson, Rapides, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.
Health officials characterize West Nile infections three ways: neuroinvasive, West Nile fever and asymptomatic. A neuroinvasive illness is severe and typically results in a swelling of the brain or spinal cord. People with this illness are at risk of brain damage or death. West Nile fever is less severe, with most people only suffering mild, flu-like symptoms. Asymptomatic individuals were never ill and were only discovered to have the virus when blood work was done for some other reason, such as blood donation.
This year, Rapides and Vernon parishes each have one case of neuroinvasive disease, Rapides and East Feliciana parishes each have a confirmed case of West Nile fever and Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes each have one asymptomatic case. Tangipahoa parish has three asymptomatic cases.
About 90 percent of all cases are asymptomatic, while about 10 percent will develop West Nile fever, state officials said. Only a small number of infected people will show the serious symptoms associated with neuroinvasive disease. Residents who are 65-years-old and older are at higher risk for complications, but everyone is at risk for infection, officials said.
"This is a reminder that West Nile Virus is once again here in Louisiana," said Dr. Raoult Ratard, the state's epidemiologist. "It should always be taken seriously. In view of that, we should all take some simple precautions to avoid mosquito bites and to reduce mosquito populations in and around the home."
The Department of Health and Hospitals has issued the following guidance for protecting against mosquitoes:
- If you will be outside, you should wear a mosquito repellent containing 20 - 30 percent DEET for adults and no more than 10 percent for children.
- Apply repellent on exposed skin and clothing. Do not apply under your clothes or on broken skin.
- To apply repellent to your face, spray on your hands and then rub on your face.
- Adults should always apply repellent to children.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors for long periods of time.
- Avoid perfumes and colognes when outdoors for extended periods of time.
- Make sure that your house has tight-fitting windows and doors, and that all screens are free of holes.
Mosquito Population Control
- 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. Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools or buckets that could collect water.
- Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers. Drainage holes that are located on the container sides collect enough water for mosquitoes to breed.
- Clean clogged roof gutters yearly. They are often overlooked, but can produce millions of mosquitoes each season.
- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens can become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used. A swimming pool that is left untended by a family that goes on vacation for 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.
This report is compiled from information from DHH and content from The Associated Press. (Copyright 2012; All rights reserved)
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