DHH: 4 New Cases Of West Nile Virus

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State health officials are reporting four new West Nile cases, bringing the 2013 total so far to 13.

The LouisianaDepartment of Health and Hospitals said Friday that this week's new infections include two cases of neuroinvasive disease, both from Ouachita Parish. That's the most serious type of the virus that can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage.

There also were two asymptomatic cases reported, including one each in Ouachita and Vernon parishes. Experts say about 90 percent of all cases reported are asymptomatic, while about 10 percent will develop the milder viral infection called West Nile fever. Only a very small number of infected individuals will show the serious symptoms associated with neuroinvasive disease.