October 26, 2012 Health Department Reports 17 West Nile Virus Cases, One Death

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Oct 26, 2012 - Baton Rouge - State health officials today confirmed 17 new West Nile cases and one death from the virus, urging Louisiana residents to continue to Fight the Bite.

The State is experiencing its most active year for West Nile since 2002, which was the major outbreak year of the virus in Louisiana. So far, there have been 338 cases and 13 deaths from the disease reported this year.

"We keep hearing comments like 'West Nile is slowing down,' but the real message is 'West Nile is still a health threat,'" said Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein. "It may be getting later in the year, but we are still seeing new cases, and we continue to have parishes report their first human cases of West Nile. If you can still be bitten by mosquitoes, you can still get West Nile. Protect your health and Fight the Bite."  

Humans contract West Nile when they are bitten by mosquitoes infected with the virus. When people are infected with West Nile, the virus will affect them one of three ways. West Nile neuroinvasive disease is the most serious type, infecting the brain and spinal cord. Neuroinvasive disease can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage. The milder viral infection is West Nile fever, in which people experience flu-like symptoms. The majority of people who contract West Nile will be asymptomatic, which means they show no symptoms. These cases are typically detected through blood donations or in the course of other routine medical tests.

There are five new neuroinvasive disease cases reported this week, with one each reported from Bossier, Calcasieu, Jefferson, Orleans and West Feliciana parishes.

There are 11 new West Nile Fever cases, from Ascension (1), Beauregard (1), Caddo (2), Calcasieu (1), DeSoto (1), East Baton Rouge (4) and Lafourche (1).

There was one new asymptomatic case reported this week, from Lafourche Parish.

LDH issues a weekly Arbovirus Surveillance Report that details cases detected thus far by parish, which is published here.

West Nile virus has been present in Louisiana since 2002, when the state experienced 328 cases and 24 deaths. For 10 years, state health officials have conducted robust surveillance year-round, which includes working with doctors, hospitals and health care providers around the state to track human cases and reminding people to be vigilant in avoiding mosquito bites.

Fight the Bite

Local mosquito control partners and abatement districts remain vigilant in keeping the population of infected mosquitos under control, but everyone has a personal responsibility to avoid mosquito bites.

Health officials recommend:

• If you will be outside, you should wear a mosquito repellent containing DEET. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that repellents should contain no more than 30% DEET when used on children. Insect repellents also are not recommended for children younger than 2 months. CDC recommends that you always follow the recommendations appearing on the product label when using repellent.
• People should be especially vigilant if they are outside at dawn and dusk. The mosquitoes that carry West Nile are most active at that time. But, people should take precautions against mosquitoes if they are outside at any time of day.
• 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.

Another effective way to prevent mosquito bites is to drain stagnant water from around homes and property to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and swarming:

• 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. An unattended swimming pool 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.

For more information on West Nile activity in Louisiana and prevention tips, visit www.dhh.louisiana.gov/FighttheBite.