NightBlogger

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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By Robert Zullo
houmatoday.com
A bird used to detect the presence of the West Nile virus tested positive in Terrebonne Parish this week, the third such case so far this year. One in a group of so-called “surveillance chickens” maintained by a Harvey mosquito-control firm in Dularge tested positive for the disease after being bitten by infected mosquitoes, according to parish Public Works Director Greg Bush.

The latest case was found Monday near La. 315 in upper Dularge. Mosquito Control Inc. maintains groups of the chickens in coops across the parish to periodically test for West Nile, Bush said.
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