Louisiana Records Two New West Nile Deaths

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana confirms two new West Nile virus deaths, bringing this year's total to four.

The Department of Health and Hospitals on Friday, in its weekly Arbovirus Surveillance Report, also notes 19 new infections, of which six were the more serious neuroinvasive disease, bringing this year's total to 80 reported infections.

Three neuroinvasive cases were reported in Caddo Parish and one each in Bossier, East Baton Rouge and St. Tammany parishes. Ten new cases of the milder West Nile fever were reported: two each in Caddo, East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes and one each in Ascension, Bossier, Ouachita and St. Tammany parishes.

There were also three new asymptomatic cases: one each in Caddo, Livingston and Rapides parishes.

Humans contract West Nile when they're bitten by mosquitoes infected with the virus.