Another West Nile case reported in La. with other mosquito-borne diseases
17th July 2023 · 0 Comments
By Wesley Muller
Contributing Writer
(lailluminator.com) — Louisiana health officials have confirmed this year’s second human case of West Nile virus along with three cases of other rare tropical diseases that mosquitoes transmit.
The second West Nile case occurred in Caddo Parish during the last week of June. Officials classified the infection as neuroinvasive, meaning it spread to the patient’s brain or nervous system, according to the Louisiana Department of Health’s most recent weekly arbovirus report.
The other three viral infections reported in the state include eastern equine encephalitis, dengue fever and chikungunya.
The eastern equine encephalitis case was reported in Terrebonne Parish. The dengue case came from state health Region 1, which includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parish. Chikungunya was diagnosed in Region 8, a 12-parish region in northeast Louisiana.
The health department did not respond to questions about the infections but did issue a press release urging the public to take precautions against mosquito bites.
Eastern equine encephalitis is very rare in humans and has a relatively high fatality rate. It infects only a handful of people each year and kills about one-third of them. Most survivors are left with permanent brain damage.
Illness often begins four to 10 days after a mosquito bite with flu-like symptoms as it infects the spinal cord and brain with meningitis or encephalitis. Death usually occurs two to 10 days after the onset of symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Chikungunya is also quite rare in the United States with only two to three dozen cases annually reported mostly by travelers returning from affected areas in Central and South America. No state has reported a locally-acquired case of chikungunya since 2014, according to the CDC.
Most people infected with chikungunya will develop symptoms, including fever, joint pain or rash. The illness typically lasts about a week, and most people recover but may experience joint pain for several months.
Dengue infects only a handful of Louisiana residents every year. Like chikungunya, the cases are almost always reported by travelers returning from other affected countries. Roughly one in four people infected with dengue experience symptoms, and most recover within a week. About five percent of dengue infections become severe and lead to hospitalization or death, according to the CDC.
Complications from neuroinvasive West Nile virus can include meningitis, encephalitis or death, though only a small percentage of people sickened by the virus develop a neuroinvasive infection. Roughly 10 percent of infections are fatal, and another 10 percent cause permanent neurological effects such as paralysis or brain damage, according to LDH.
Statewide, officials have so far detected West Nile virus activity in 13 parishes through the testing of animals or standing water where mosquitoes breed.
Louisiana’s first case of 2023, strangely, happened months ago during February. The unusually early case was also a neuroinvasive infection but not fatal, LDH spokesperson Kevin Litten said.
Anyone bitten by a mosquito is at risk of an arboviral infection, particularly during the warm summer months. Officials urge people to be particularly careful around dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. Anyone going outdoors should use mosquito repellant, wear long sleeves and use mosquito netting for baby strollers and when sleeping outdoors. Residents should install or repair window screens and mitigate any outdoor containers, bird baths or areas that collect standing water, which mosquitoes require for breeding.
This article originally published in the July 17, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
