West Nile shows up in St. Mary

Staff and Wire Reports
The West Nile virus has turned up once more in St. Mary Parish. So it’s time to be careful.
Jesse Boudreaux Jr. of Cajun Mosquito Control LLC, the mosquito contractor for several local governments, said the LSU Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab has confirmed that mosquitos trapped in the Four Corners-Glencoe area have been confirmed to be carrying West Nile.
“We are now following the CDC Expanded Transmission Protocol measures for West Nile virus …,” Boudreaux said in a press release Monday.
The CDC refers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
At least six cases of human infection have been confirmed in St. Tammany, DeSoto, Tangipahoa and East Baton Rouge parishes, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. One of the six confirmed cases, in East Baton Rouge, was West Nile fever, which causes nothing more than flu-like symptoms.
Most West Nile infections will go undetected by the patient.
But three of the cases, the ones in DeSoto, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa, were of the neuro-invasive variety, which can be debilitating and is potentially fatal.
Louisiana has monitored West Nile since 2000. Public health officials and mosquito control authorities monitor West Nile by trapping mosquitoes, testing samples from dead birds and other animals, and testing blood from “sentinel chickens.” Mosquitoes can transmit the virus from birds to humans.
West Nile’s return has been delayed by a dry June, Boudreaux said. The monthly precipitation report by the Berwick Volunteer Fire Department, presented at the town council meeting July 10, showed only about 3 inches of rain for June. The average is about 6.8 inches.
But July has been wetter.
“Basically, we let everyone know it’s the time of year that we should take precautions,” Boudreaux said.
Here are steps you can take, offered by Cajun Mosquito Control:
—Residents are encouraged to wear insect repellent, preferably one containing DEET. Always read repellent labels carefully, especially for younger children. Also, try to wear light colored, long sleeve clothing and socks.
—Repair or replace broken screens on windows and doors, and avoid using perfumes or colognes.
—Residents should remove any standing water around their homes or businesses. Clogged rain gutters and pet water bowls can produce thousands of mosquitoes per week and something as small as a Coke can or bottle cap can produce a breeding site for mosquitoes.
—Avoid mosquitoes and their peak activity times of dusk and dawn, if possible, but if you must be outside, wear a repellant.
—Again in 2018, West Nile virus has been confirmed in St. Mary Parish. Residents in these areas are being informed that there is a heightened potential for encephalitis infection within any of these locations.
—Personal protection and yard sanitation is recommended and encouraged.
—During the evening hours, truck-mounted sprayers will be assigned to spray St. Mary in an effort to reduce the vector population below critical levels as noted in the CDC Expanded Protocol measures. Spraying will be conducted for three consecutive evenings in the affected areas, weather permitting.
—The effectiveness of these truck spraying operations will be determined through the use of Gravid Traps that are scheduled for operation immediately following the completion of the mosquito control activities. The number of mosquitoes collected will serve to quantify the adult population and provide specimens to be submitted for retesting at Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab.
You can find links to information about West Nile from cajunmosquitocontrol.com.