MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Ouachita Parish is reporting its first positive test of West Nile Virus in a mosquito pool.
"The first pool that was positive for this year was found in the Garden District in Monroe," said Shannon Rider.
Rider is the woman in charge of the bite in Ouachita Parish - and said one positive pool of West Nile doesn't mean you should live in fear, but she urges you to protect yourself from blood sucking critters.
"Wear repellant, longer sleeves, longer pants," said Rider. "And avoid being out at dusk or dawn."
Mosquitoes pick up the disease by feeding on birds that are infected with the virus. And when they bite humans, they inject us with the virus .
Workers are doing what they can to protect us from disease carrying mosquitoes. Throughout the year mosquito traps are placed throughout the parish and are then sent to Baton Rouge for testing.
"These traps are set once a week sometimes twice," said Rider. "Depending on what the count was the night before."
And now that the Garden District in Monroe is seeing it's first positive test for West Nile Virus, Rider said more tests and spray operations are being conducted.
"That area was sprayed Friday night," said Rider. "And will be sprayed again tonight and tomorrow night."
Tuesday, May 21 2013 10:10 AM EDT2013-05-21 14:10:14 GMT
MOORE, Ok. (KNOE 8 News) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma as the state recovers from a massive tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs
MOORE, Ok. (KNOE 8 News) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma as the state recovers from a massive tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs
Friday, May 17 2013 12:09 PM EDT2013-05-17 16:09:18 GMT
FARMERVILLE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The family of a Farmerville teen who died at football practice last week says it is overwhelmed by the community's gratitude.
FARMERVILLE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The family of a Farmerville teen who died at football practice last week says it is overwhelmed by the community's gratitude.
