Summer is here, West Nile is near – News – Daily Comet

Health authorities remind residents to take precautions against mosquito-borne West Nile virus, an annual summer event in Louisiana. "Up to now, we have not received any positive samples from Terrebonne or Lafourche." Steve Pavlovich, entomologist at Mosquito Control Services

The company contracts with two parishes to spray chemicals to kill mosquitoes and test the diseases they carry.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans who contract West Nile virus do not never have symptoms One in five people develop fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rashes Most of them recover completely, but tiredness and weakness can last for weeks.

One in 150 who is infected develops a serious disease affecting the central nervous system, such as an inflammation of the brain, according to the agency. The disease does not cure and doctors treat the symptoms in severe cases. "People can experience symptoms like encephalitis, high fever, disorientation, numbness and, in some cases, death," said Dr. Frank Welch. Community Preparation at the Louisiana Department of Health.

State Department of Health statistics show a different story from that of the country. In the past five years, the state has received reports of 368 people infected with West Nile virus. Of these, 52 cases had no symptoms, 114 high, 202 brain swelling, and 20 deaths.

During this same period, at least two local residents died of West Nile. In 2014, the death of an 88-year-old Thibodaux man and an 82-year-old man from Larose was attributed to the disease.

However, the number of cases serious enough to be reported to the Department of State Health According to the records, [traduction]

Both parishes work all year to protect residents against mosquitoes, says Pavlovich.

"We work all year, but we are more active now because of the larger population of mosquitoes that come with the summer season," he said. "We use several devices that help us to monitor where mosquitoes grow and what kind of mosquitoes they are. "

The main type transmitting West Nile to Louisiana is the Southern House mosquito, whose population usually receives in August, September, and October

" We let's do a lot of surveillance for these particular mosquitoes, "said Pavlovich

Mosquito Control sends potentially infected mosquitoes to the LSU diagnostic lab.The two parishes issue public notices when the mosquitoes are tested positive locally so that residents can take Precautions

– Writer Andrea Mujica can be contacted at 850-1148 or [email protected]. z-la on twitter @CationM.