BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has confirmed Louisiana’s first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) of the 2025 mosquito season and urges all Louisianans to protect themselves from mosquito bites. This case was confirmed in an individual from Livingston Parish who was hospitalized due to complications from the infection. To protect patient confidentiality, no further information about the patient will be released, according to LDH.
About 1 in 150 people who are infected with WNV develop a severe illness that can affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, which may even cause paralysis or death.
West Nile virus has been actively spreading throughout Louisiana since its first detection in the state in 2002. To date in 2025, WNV activity has been confirmed in 14 parishes. In 2024, there were 57 confirmed human cases of WNV in Louisiana, including three deaths.
West Nile virus is spread to people by mosquitoes and can cause mild to severe illnesses. While most people infected with West Nile virus develop no symptoms, about 20% of infected people develop West Nile fever. West Nile fever is a flu-like illness with symptoms including fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, and rashes, according to LDH.
A small percentage of infected people develop West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a severe illness that affects the central nervous system and can result in hospitalization or even death. Symptoms can include high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, muscle weakness, numbness, coma, and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks and carry the risk of death or permanent damage.
It is important to protect yourself from mosquito bites to prevent illness. People 55 years of age and older and people with certain medical conditions are at a greater risk for severe disease if they are infected.
Tips to protect yourself against mosquitoes
- Wear EPA-registered mosquito repellent outdoors and always follow label instructions
- Apply repellent on exposed skin only, do not apply under clothing or broken skin
- Carry travel-size repellent if you will be outdoors for extended periods
- Apply sunscreen first, insect repellent second, if wearing sunscreen
- Make sure windows are tight-fitting and screens are free of holes to keep mosquitoes out.
Tips to protect your home from mosquitoes
- Eliminate standing water around your home, which is where mosquitoes breed
- Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys, and anything that can collect standing water.
- Quickly discard or store any containers around your home to avoid accumulating water. Drill holes in standing containers to drain water quickly.
- Clean roof gutters routinely. Clogged gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes annually.
- Take steps to prevent water gardens and ornamental pools from stagnating (and becoming major mosquito producers), such as adding fish or aeration.
- Clean bird baths weekly, as changing the water keeps it from stagnating and becoming a breeding area for mosquitoes.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, especially if they go unused. Be aware that mosquitoes also breed in water accumulated on pool covers.
- Install or repair window screens.
Visit the CDC’s Fight the Bite for more tips on preventing mosquito-borne diseases.
