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• October 18, 2013

  DHH Confirms West Nile Virus Death

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed the state's third West Nile virus death this year. The death is from Rapides Parish, and is the second death this year from Rapides Parish. In addition, the health department is also confirming three new West Nile virus cases this week, bringing this year's total number of cases to 51. This week's new infections include two cases of neuroinvasive disease in Lafayette Parish and one case of neuroinvasive in Ouachita Parish.

• October 11, 2013

  DHH Confirms Three New West Nile virus Cases

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed three new West Nile virus cases this week, bringing this year's total number of cases to 48. This week's new infections include one case of neuroinvasive disease from Lafayette and two cases of West Nile fever from Ouachita and Morehouse parishes.

• October 09, 2013

  DHH Emphasizes Importance of Safe Sleep Environment for Infants During SIDS Awareness Month

  In Louisiana, approximately 80 babies die each year from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is the broad medical term for sudden, unexplained deaths of infants before they reach their first birthdays. This October, as part of SIDS Awareness Month, the Department of Health and Hospitals is encouraging families to create a safe sleeping space for their babies.

• October 08, 2013

  CDC Testing Confirms Presence of Rare Ameba in One DeSoto Parish Water System

  Today, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the presence of the rare Naegleria fowleri ameba in five locations in DeSoto Parish Waterworks District No. 1, which is one of 14 water systems in the parish. There are no known current cases of illness related to the ameba in DeSoto Parish or elsewhere in the state. The water system was sampled out of an abundance of caution by DHH officials, who then sent the samples to the CDC for testing. Beginning tomorrow, Waterworks District No. 1 will flush its system with additional chlorine to kill the ameba.

• October 05, 2013

  Residents Urged to Use Caution when Operating Generators

  The Department of Health and Hospitals is cautioning residents who may be using generators due to power outages caused by Tropical Storm Karen to be mindful of the dangerous health risks that may result if not used properly.

• September 27, 2013

  DHH Confirms Second West Nile virus Death

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed the state's second West Nile virus death this season. The death occured this week in Ouachita Parish. The state's first death was last month in Rapides Parish. DHH is reporting six new West Nile virus cases this week, bringing this year's total number of cases to 45. This week's new infections include four cases of neuroinvasive disease, with three cases from Ouachita Parish, and one case from Lafayette parish, and two cases of West Nile fever, with one case each from St. Landry and St. Martin parishes.

• September 20, 2013

  DHH Confirms Five New West Nile virus Cases

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed five new West Nile virus cases this week, bringing this year's total number of cases to 39. This week's new infections include three cases of neuroinvasive disease, with one case each from Caldwell, Lafayette and Rapides parishes, one case of West Nile fever from Ouchita Parish and one asymptomatic case from Lafayette Parish.

• September 13, 2013

  DHH Confirms Three New West Nile virus Cases

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed three new West Nile virus cases this week, bringing this year's total number of cases to 34. This week's new infections include two cases of neuroinvasive disease, with one case each from Livingston and Rapides parishes and one case of West Nile fever from St. Martin Parish.

• September 13, 2013

  DHH Teams Up with Louisiana's Faith-Based Community to Encourage Emergency Planning During National Preparedness Month

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is teaming up with the faith-based community to deliver the message of preparedness during September, which is National Preparedness Month.

• September 13, 2013

  CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

  Additional test results from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirm the presence of the rare ameba Naegleria fowleri in four locations of the St. Bernard Parish water system, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) announced Thursday.

• September 06, 2013

  DHH Confirms State's First West Nile virus Death

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has confirmed the State's first West Nile virus death of 2013 season. The death occurred in Rapides Parish. DHH is also reporting 10 new West Nile cases this week, bringing this year's total number of cases to 31. This week's new infections include six cases of neuroinvasive disease, four cases from Ouachita Parish and one each from Lafayette and St. Tammany parishes and four cases of West Nile fever, with three in Ouachita Parish and one in St. Tammany Parish.

• September 05, 2013

  DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home

  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that a child who died from encephalitis, caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, contracted the illness while visiting a home in St. Bernard Parish, the Department of Health and Hospitals announced Thursday.