Mosquito samples collected in three local parishes have tested positive for West Nile Virus.
East Baton Rouge Parish Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control reports that five samples in St. John the Baptist and one sample in Tangipahoa parishes tested positive for West Nile Virus.
St. Tammany Parish Mosquito abatement says three samples collected from traps in the Covington area over the past two weeks also tested positive for West Nile Virus. Residents in the Covington area can expect increased abatement efforts, including daytime larval treatments as well as nighttime mosquito spraying with trucks and airplanes.
Three positive samples were also collected in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The samples were collected in the first week of June by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at LSU.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, West Nile is commonly spread to people through mosquito bites. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat West Nile Virus. People can reduce their risk of being infected by wearing bug spray, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
The CDC says most people infected with West Nile Virus do not have symptoms, but one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms.
