Dr. Parham Jaberi, Regional Medical Director for the Office of Public Health Region IX, said Tuesday that a case of West Nile virus was confirmed in Washington Parish last week.

“I don’t know if there have been more since, but this is nothing compared to what we were seeing a couple of years ago,” he said. “That’s very reassuring.”

Effects of the mosquito-borne virus can vary from being barely noticeable to being deadly, according to the Department of Health and Hospitals. In about 90 percent of cases it causes no symptoms. In about nine percent, it prompts flu-like symptoms with a high fever. And approximately one percent of the cases result in encephalitis, or brain inflammation, which can be fatal.

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A Covington resident reportedly contracted the state’s first confirmed case of 2009 in mid July. Within about a month three additional cases were confirmed in western St. Tammany Parish residents.

Now the virus has reached Washington Parish, but its usual season, which peaks in July and August, is drawing to a close, and tests of mosquitoes collected from monitoring sites throughout the state show the numbers of infected mosquitoes are down statewide, according to the DHH.

Preventive measures are being taken locally, said James Hall, Bogalusa Director of Public Works.

“We have two trucks out five days a week,” he said. “One sprays north of the Bogue Lusa Creek, and the other sprays south of the creek. They work a split shift-four hours in the morning and fours in the evening.”

Hall said the generally dry weather during the early part of the year has been helpful in keeping mosquito numbers low.

Still, Jaberi advises everyone to take precautionary measures such as using insect repellant when going outdoors, especially at dusk and dawn, and to eliminate any standing water on their property so mosquitoes won’t have a nearby place to lay eggs.