Louisiana reports first human West Nile cases of the year
Louisiana reports first human West Nile cases of the year
THE FIRST HUMAN CASES OF WEST NILE HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE STATE. FIVE CASES TOTAL OF THE NEURO-INVASIVE DISEASE, TWO CASES IN WASHINGTON PARISH AND ONE CASE EACH IN ST. TAMMANY, EAST BATON ROUGE, AND LIVINGSTON PARISHES. TWO CASES OF WEST NILE FEVER, ONE CASE EACH IN EAST BATON ROUGE AND WASHINGTON PARISHES. TWO ASYMPTOMATIC CASES, BOTH CASES, ONE IN CADDO PARISH AND ONE IN WASHINGTON PARISH, WERE DIAGNOSED BECAUSE OF A BLOOD DONATION. THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS. >> IT IS SIMPLE AND MINOR THINGS. AROUND THE HOME, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PLACES MOSQUITOES CAN BREED. THEY BREED IN SMALL AMOUNTS OF WATER. DISHES, POTS, FLOWERPOTS, TURN THEM OVER SO THEY DON’T COLLECT WATER. TRAVERS: THERE ARE NO CONFIRMED DEATHS FROM WEST NILE THIS YEAR, BUT LAST YEAR 4 PEOPLE DIED FROM THE
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Louisiana reports first human West Nile cases of the year
The Louisiana Department of Health announced Tuesday that the agency is reporting the first human cases of West Nile for the year. According to the Department of Health, the cases reported are as followed: Five cases of neuroinvasive disease: two cases in Washington Parish and one case each in St. Tammany, East Baton Rouge, and Livingston parishesTwo cases of West Nile fever: one case each in East Baton Rouge and Washington parishesTwo asymptomatic cases: both cases, one in Caddo Parish and one in Washington Parish, were diagnosed because of a blood donationThe Department of Health issued the following tips on how to protect yourself from West Nile: 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.Dispose of tin cans, ceramic pots and other unnecessary containers that have accumulated on your property. Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children's toys or anything that could collect water. Be sure to empty these containers each week. 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. Check and clean roof gutters routinely. 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. A swimming pool that is left untended by a family for a month 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.
BATON ROUGE, La. —
The Louisiana Department of Health announced Tuesday that the agency is reporting the first human cases of West Nile for the year.
According to the Department of Health, the cases reported are as followed:
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- Five cases of neuroinvasive disease: two cases in Washington Parish and one case each in St. Tammany, East Baton Rouge, and Livingston parishes
- Two cases of West Nile fever: one case each in East Baton Rouge and Washington parishes
- Two asymptomatic cases: both cases, one in Caddo Parish and one in Washington Parish, were diagnosed because of a blood donation
The Department of Health issued the following tips on how to protect yourself from West Nile:
- 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.
- Dispose of tin cans, ceramic pots and other unnecessary containers that have accumulated on your property. Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children's toys or anything that could collect water. Be sure to empty these containers each week.
- 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.
- Check and clean roof gutters routinely. 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. A swimming pool that is left untended by a family for a month 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.