Louisiana
Flu Outbreak in Louisiana: Should You Be Worried?
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) – As we enter the last weeks of peak flu season, health officials are warning residents about rising flu cases, increased hospital visits, and ongoing RSV activity.
With one pediatric flu-related death reported and the highly transmissible A/H3 strain dominating cases, experts urge residents to take precautions.
The latest Influenza & Other Respiratory Viruses Surveillance Report from the Louisiana Department of Health confirms that flu activity is well above normal levels, with more than 9% of emergency room visits linked to flu-like symptoms. Here’s what you need to know about the current flu outbreak in Louisiana and how to stay protected.
Louisiana Flu Rates Surge
Louisiana is seeing a major spike in flu cases, according to LDH data, with the latest report showing above-average flu-like illness (ILI) activity across the state. That ILI is among the highest in the country, even above the already-high southern states surrounding it.
Credit: Louisiana Department of Health
According to data for the week ending January 25, 2025, 9.7 percent of emergency department visits were due to flu-like symptoms, well above the regional baseline of 3.9 percent.
It’s gotten to the point where several medical offices have taken to swabbing patients if they even report a minor symptom or two. At this point, some in the medical field told KPEL News, if you have even one or two minor symptoms, chances are you’ve got the flu.
Flu Positivity and Virus Spread
And the data seems to confirm that. Testing results around the state confirm that 20.8 percent of flu tests in Louisiana are coming back positive, indicating a widespread outbreak.
Nationally, the flu positivity rate is 29.4 percent, showing that Louisiana’s flu season is in full swing but still slightly lower than the national trend. Still, the number of people showing symptoms is concerning.
Experts warn that cases are continuing to rise, suggesting the worst may not be over.
Flu-Associated Mortality and At-Risk Populations
So far, one pediatric flu-related death has been reported in Louisiana, with 47 flu-related pediatric deaths nationwide. Additionally, 87 percent of Influenza A cases in Louisiana have been identified as A/H3, a strain known for causing severe illness, particularly in older adults.
There are plenty of preventative measures you can take to try and prevent catching it, including washing your hands, communicating with others ahead of social gatherings, and more.
RSV and Other Respiratory Viruses in Louisiana
Adding to the concern, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) season is still active, affecting infants, young children, and older adults.
Other respiratory viruses such as Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, and Human Metapneumovirus are also circulating, which can be seen in the pharmacy section of your local grocery stores. Regulars like DayQuil, NyQuil, Mucinex, and more seem to be flying off the shelves.
What Louisiana Residents Need to Know
With flu activity surging across the state of Louisiana, it’s never too late to get a flu vaccine if you haven’t gotten the flu yet, practice good hygiene, and keep an eye and ear out for potential exposure.
The last thing you want is to catch the flu.
10 Things Every True South Louisiana Driver Should Keep in Their Car
Living in South Louisiana comes with its own set of unique challenges, from unpredictable weather to surprise mosquito invasions. Whether you’re navigating backroads, chasing sunsets along the bayou, or heading to a crawfish boil, your car needs to be stocked with essentials that reflect life in the Pelican State. Here are the 10 must-have items every true South Louisianian should keep in their vehicle.
Gallery Credit: Joe Cunningham
Louisiana
After redistricting battles, Southern gathers for Juneteenth celebration: ‘Continue the fight’
Hundreds of community members, alumni and students gathered Thursday to observe Juneteenth on the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge.
The theme of the festivities was “celebrating freedom through culture and community,” but weeks after Louisiana’s bitter redistricting battles, the speakers Thursday morning had one message driving their remarks: Get out and vote.
“Freedom does not come in on the wheels of inevitability,” Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice John Michael Guidry said to the crowd. “But it takes the prodigious work and the tireless efforts of those who are willing to continue the fight.”
Great Beginnings summer camper Myni, 4, gets a hello kitty face painting during Southern’s Juneteenth celebration on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Staff photo by Michael Johnson
The speech kicked off a day of discussions and cultural events centered on the holiday of Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger brought news of emancipation to enslaved people in Texas more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
Speakers at Southern emphasized the need for protection of hard-won rights for Black Americans in the context of redistricting. The sentiments followed a contentious state legislative session that ended with the elimination of one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.
“That Voting Rights Act is under attack,” Guidry said. “There’s voter intimidation, there’s voter suppression, there are voter ID laws and all types of laws and legal decisions that are trying to deny us our right to vote, and we are the ones who have to go forward and litigate these issues.”
The day opened with a libation ceremony and a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Southern University student Claire Floyd.
Southern University alumnus Jeanet Cazenave said she felt it was important to celebrate Juneteenth on campus as not only a relative of the first dean of Southern University but also a descendant of the GU272, a group of enslaved individuals who were sold to plantations in Louisiana in 1838 by Jesuit priests to pay the debts of what is now Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Juneteenth “means everything,” Cazenave said. “It means the past, the present and the future.”
BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — Governor Landry has officially declared Louisiana under state of emergency.
The state emergency declaration covers Avoyelles, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes.
The declaration was issued Thursday following the impacts of Tropical Storm Arthur, which brough rainfall and strong storms to parts of the state on June 17 and 18.
Officials said the National Weather Service has confirmed three tornadoes tied to the storm system.
Officials also reported record or near-record rainfall totals in Avoyelles and Pointe Coupee parishes over a 12-hour period.
The order allows the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to coordinate resources and provide assistance to local governments if needed.
Certain state purchasing and bidding requirements have been temporarily suspended to speed up emergency response efforts.
The declaration took effect immediately and will remain in place through July 18 unless it is lifted or extended.
State officials are urging residents to stay weather aware, avoid flooded roadways and follow guidance from local emergency managers.
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