BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - State health officials are reporting seven new West Nile cases, bringing this year's total to eight.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals says there were two neuroinvasive disease cases reported this week, with one each from Calcasieu and Ouachita parishes. That's the most serious type of the virus, infecting the brain and spinal cord and can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage.
DHH also reports four West Nile fever cases, milder viral infections, with one each in Ascension and St. Tammany parishes and two cases in Lafayette Parish.
In addition, there was one asymptomatic case reported in St. Tammany Parish. The majority of people who contract West Nile will be asymptomatic, meaning they show no symptoms. Those cases are typically detected through blood donations or routine medical tests.