Cooler Weather Does Not Equate to Drop in West Nile Cases

The State Department of Health and Hospitals has confirmed 15 more West Nile cases in the past week and another death.  The brings to 16 the number of people who have died from the disease so far this year in Louisiana and a total of 371 confirmed cases.  That makes this the worst year since the disease was first discovered in Louisiana in 2002.  Six of the new cases were the most serious neuroinvasive disease with two cases each in Orleans and Rapides parishes and one each in Jefferson and Tangipahoa.  The remainder of the new cases were West Nile fever with two each reported in East Baton Rouge, Rapides, and Winn Parishes and one case each in Assumption, Catahoula, Ouachita, and St. Landry.  Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein says that, not only is the number of cases continuing to grow, it's now shown up in three parishes that had not reported any cases until now.