The Louisiana Department of Health is putting out an urgent message to Louisianians to protect ourselves against West Nile Virus. Currently, Louisiana has the highest reported amount of West Nile cases in the country.
State health officials say the risk of contracting West Nile virus is expected to rise as water from recent flooding across south Louisiana recedes. The year started off relatively slowly in terms of the number of cases. However, that's where the good news stops.
While many news outlets have focused on the Zika virus recently, experts say that the West Nile virus poses a bigger threat after flooding in Louisiana.
The three new cases are all dangerous infections of the brain or spinal cord, called neuroinvasive disease. Two are in Lafayette Parish and one in Ouachita Parish.