West Nile Virus

General Information:

Surveillance for West Nile Virus (WNV) was initiated in Louisiana in the Spring 2000 and currently involves the testing of sick horses and mosquito pools.  With the exception of horse testing, WNV testing is performed at the request of individual mosquito abatement districts throughout the state. WNV is considered endemic or native to all parts of Louisiana, thus statewide dead bird reporting has been suspended. Dead bird testing is now understood to be a poor predictor of human cases and its value is limited unless part of a more comprehensive mosquito surveillance program, as is conducted by local or parish mosquito abatement districts.

• Louisiana has four kinds of Encephalitis: West Nile Fever, Saint Louis, Eastern Equine and California Encephalitis.
• Click here for West Nile Virus FAQs

WNV Surveillance:

Annual Reports:

Annual Reports available here 

Weekly Reports:

2023 Arboviral Reports

 Archived Seasonal Reports By Year:

2022  2021  2020  2019  2018  2017 2016  2013  2012  2011  2010  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002

   Dead Birds: 

Dead Bird Reporting

     Safe Handling Guidelines for Dead Birds

Health Education Materials: 
The Infectious Disease Section offers limited quantities of  free West Nile virus and other mosquito borne disease educational materials. For more information email marceia.walker@la.gov or the program coordinator.

• Additional resources may be found at the CDC website
  http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/education.htm
• Protecting Outdoor Workers from WNV http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-155/
• West Nile Virus and Pregnancy/Breastfeeding (CDC) Website
• West Nile Virus and Blood Donations/Transplant Recipients. (CDC) Website
                                                                      Public Information Download
• West Nile virus is a risk you can do something about (CDC)  Download
• Español Prevención y Control
• Spanish version Virus del Nilo Occidental. Protejase contra las picaduras! (CDC) Download  
• Repellent and Pesticides:  How Do I Choose a Repellant - Poster - CDC 
• Publications - Available in English and Español 

Partners:

• American Mosquito Control Association  http://www.mosquito.org/
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/animal-health/veterinary-health-division/diseases/  
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries   http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
• Louisiana Mosquito Control Association  http://www.lmca.us/
• LSU Louisiana State Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory http://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/laddl/index.php  
• Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine http://www.sph.tulane.edu/
• CDC Fight the Bite https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html 
• Local Mosquito Control Programs
• Office of Public Health Laboratory
• Office of Public Health Sanitarian Services

Primary Contact Information