West Nile Virus Found In Mosquitoes Across Louisiana Parishes

It's time to start thinking about mosquitoes and West Nile Virus. Experts recently detected the virus in a mosquito in West Baton Rouge Parish. KEEL News reached out to Caddo Parish officials to find out if there have been positive tests locally.

Communications Director Krystle Beauchamp tells us "there have been 10 mosquito specimens that have tested positive for West Nile in Caddo Parish, but there have been no human cases in the Parish.

She adds that "according to Animal Services, we are trending low for positive mosquito specimens so far."

Across the state, there have been several cases discovered in mosquitoes.

But a small percentage of human infections are detected. This does mean we need to be very careful in monitoring mosquito populations.

How Big a Problem Is West Nile in Mosquitoes in Louisiana?

Every year 20,000-50,000 mosquito pools (aggregate samples of mosquitoes from the same sample site) from approximately 30 parishes are submitted to the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for testing or tested in-house. These mosquitoes are tested for endemic viruses in order to detect when and where viruses are
transmitted.

What Are the Risks to Humans?

If the virus is detected in humans, many of the symptomatic cases can be mild to moderate flu-like illnesses (West Nile Fever), and might not seek medical care or
be tested. Only a small fraction of cases develop neuroinvasive disease (NID), which includes meningitis and encephalitis.

People ages 55 and older are at higher risk for NID. Due to the severe nature of these cases, they are consistently detected
and reported.

Where Have Mosquitoes Tested Positive in Louisiana

Allen 15
Ascension 2
Avoyelles 1
Caddo 10
Calcasieu 28
East Baton Rouge 1
Jefferson 23
Lafourche 1
Livingston 1
Orleans 50
Ouachita 224
St. Bernard 1
St. Charles 1
St. Landry 1
St. Martin 2
St. Tammany 33
Tangipahoa 48
Terrebonne 3

There have been no human cases of West Nile Virus in northwest Louisiana so far this year.

The Most Snake-Infested Lakes in Louisiana You Should Know About

Louisiana is known for our fantastic waterways, from swamps and bayous to scenic lakes that are perfect for fishing and boating. But with all of this natural beauty comes an abundance of wildlife, including snakes. In fact, Louisiana has over 50 different snake species, many of which thrive around freshwater lakes, marshes, and coastal habitats.

Where are snakes most commonly found across the Pelican State? Here’s an updated guide to the most snake-infested lakes in Louisiana.

Gallery Credit: Michael Dot Scott