The West Nile season may be winding down, but the virus is still a threat, health official says
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 and Hospitals 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.
