Infectious Disease

State health officials today confirmed 36 new West Nile virus cases and one newly reported death from the disease. Louisiana is experiencing its highest number of reported West Nile infections in recent years, with 251 cases and 11 deaths from the disease thus far in 2012.

The Department of Health and Hospitals today confirmed 39 new human cases of West Nile virus, marking 215 reported infections of West Nile in Louisiana this year. The State is experiencing its highest number of West Nile cases in several years. There have also been 10 West Nile deaths reported thus far in 2012.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today confirms 31 new human cases of West Nile virus, reaching 176 reported infections from West Nile in the State so far in 2012. DHH also confirms a new death from this disease, which is the 10th West Nile death in Louisiana this year. The State is experiencing the highest number of West Nile cases and deaths it has seen in the past several years.

The Department of Health and Hospitals today confirms 53 new human cases of West Nile virus. These new cases mark 145 reported infections of West Nile in Louisiana so far in 2012, the highest number of cases the state has seen in the past several years. The state also confirmed three deaths from West Nile this week. So far in 2012, nine people have died from this disease.

Louisiana continues to see an increase in West Nile virus infections, with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals reporting 15 new cases and four deaths from the disease. So far this year, six people have died from the virus, and DHH has detected 68 cases. More than half – 37 -- of this year’s cases are West Nile neuro-invasive disease, the more serious form of the virus that infects the brain and spinal cord and can cause brain damage or death. This is the highest total of West Nile neuro-invasive infections that have occurred in the state since 2006.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed the state's first West Nile Virus deaths in four years. Two people have died of neuroinvasive disease (NID), the most serious form of the virus, this year. These deaths are the state's first since 2008, when one person died of the disease. Since there has been a recent sharp increase in NID cases, DHH is now reporting total West Nile Virus deaths as part of its weekly surveillance report.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed 19 additional human cases of West Nile Virus, bringing this year's total to 33, which includes 13 new cases of the potentially deadly neuroinvasive disease (NID). The new NID cases were reported from Caddo, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides and St. Tammany parishes. There were also new West Nile Fever (WNF) cases in Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge and St. Tammany parishes and new asymptomatic cases in Concordia, Rapides and Terrebonne parishes. These cases are detailed parish by parish in DHH's weekly Louisiana Arbovirus Surveillance Reports Section of the DHH Website here.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed four additional human cases of West Nile Virus, bringing this year's total to 14, which includes one case of neuroinvasive disease from St. Tammany Parish. The four new cases are from Bossier, East Baton Rouge, St. Tammany and West Baton Rouge parishes. These cases are reported in DHH's weekly Louisiana Arbovirus Surveillance Reports Section of the DHH Website here.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed six additional human cases of West Nile Virus, bringing this year's total to 10, which includes two cases of neuroinvasive disease. The six new cases come from East Feliciana, Jefferson, Rapides, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes. These cases are reported in DHH's weekly Louisiana Arbovirus Surveillance Reports Section of the DHH Website here.