A second West Nile virus case of 2008 has been confirmed in a Jefferson Parish resident, state health officials say. The latest case is similar to the first confirmed case of the year: both were found during routine screenings for blood donors and both of the infected persons did not show any signs of illness.
Dr. Raoult Ratard, the state epidemiologist, stressed Monday that the detection of the cases outside the usual West Nile season, proves that the Department of Health and Hospitals’ year-round surveillance system is working.
“Our surveillance system found two cases of the virus outside of the normal season, and in individuals that felt good enough to donate blood,” Ratard said. “This is why we monitor the virus year round.”
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