NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s West Nile season is late and slow, but not as low as last year’s record.
Dr. Raoult Ratard, the state epidemiologist, says doctors have identified 35 human infections this year. Last year, the late September figure was 23.
Doctors have diagnosed seven cases of “neuroinvasive” disease, which affects the nervous system, and 23 of flu-like West Nile fever. Another five cases were found in people who had no symptoms but donated blood which was screened for the virus.
Although more cases have been diagnosed than last year, the number of neuroinvasive cases is less than half the 15 reported by Sept. 27, 2007.
Three of this year’s neuroinvasive cases, eight fever cases and two diagnosed from donated blood have been diagnosed in the past month.
 
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