Louisiana
Bird flu virus likely mutated within a Louisiana patient, CDC says
A genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient who contracted the nation’s first severe case of the illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week.
Scientists believe the mutations may allow the virus to better bind to receptors in the upper airways of humans — something they say is concerning but not a cause for alarm.
Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease researcher, likened this binding interaction to a lock and key. To enter a cell, the virus needs to have a key that turns the lock, and this finding means the virus may be changing to have a key that might work.
“Is this an indication that we may be closer to seeing a readily transmitted virus between people? No,” Osterholm said. “Right now, this is a key that sits in the lock, but it doesn’t open the door.”
The virus has been causing sporadic, mostly mild illnesses in people in the U.S., and nearly all of those infected worked on dairy or poultry farms.
The Louisiana patient was hospitalized in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms from bird flu after coming in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. The person, who has not been identified, is older than 65 and has underlying medical problems, officials said earlier this month.
The CDC stressed there has been no known transmission of the virus from the Louisiana patient to anyone else. The agency said its findings about the mutations were “concerning,” but the risk to the general public from the outbreak “has not changed and remains low.”
Still, Osterholm said, scientists should continue to follow what’s happening with mutations carefully.
“There will be additional influenza pandemics and they could be much worse than we saw with COVID,” he said. “We know that the pandemic clock is ticking. We just don’t know what time it is.”
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
WATCH: Postgame interviews UL football HC, QB Lunch Winfield vs Marshall
Hear from UL football HC Michael Desormeaux and quarterback Lunch Winfield following the Cajuns’ 54-51 2OT win vs Marshall.
For the first offseason of his collegiate career, Lunch Winfield knew where he stood within Louisiana football.
The junior quarterback had spent the past two offseasons battling for the QB1 spot and losing that battle each preseason camp. This summer, Winfield has been handed the reins of the Ragin’ Cajuns offense and he’s hungrier than ever to lead them.
“I feel way more confident and ready to play at this point compared to other offseasons,” Winfield said. “I don’t even have the words, but I’m ready to play football. When there is fire, I thrive. And I’m just ready to get the team back to the standard that we need it.”
Louisiana football has role fit for Lunch Winfield
After being thrust into the starting role in 2025, Winfield proved he could be more than just a filler at the quarterback position. The 6-foot-2 and 225-pounder threw for 1,555 yards and 11 touchdowns, and was just as effective on the ground. Winfield led the Cajuns in rushing touchdowns with nine, racking up 667 yards rushing on 152 carries.
That breakout year quickly made the city of Lafayette fall in love with Winfield and he fell in love right back.
“Kids I take classes with are like in love with me, and just random day-to-day things happen that you would probably see in a movie or something,” Windfield said of the city embracing him. “It’s phenomenal to know that the people around Acadiana and Lafayette have my back and want to see me succeed.”
All spring and into the summer as QB1, Windfield has fallen right into a leadership role for the Cajuns both on and off the field. A role almost tailor-made for the happy-go-lucky slinger. With that position decided, fifth-year coach Michael Desormeaux will have one less question to answer.
“It’s allowed Lunch to be the leader he needs to be,” Desormeaux said. “It’s allowed him to not have to worry about his role and where he fits. He’s got unbelievable leadership qualities and being the guy for a full year just let’s him be comfortable to do what he needs to do for this team.”
With Winfield at the helm of their offense and an overall younger squad this season, the Cajuns are hoping for a better finish that the past year’s 6-7 record. A key, as it was last season, is the most important meal of the day: Lunch.
“As young as we are right now, it would mean a lot for Cajun Nation to see us winning,” Winfield said. “That’s when more people want to get involved with us and it keeps our team together. So we’re just trying to take it one step at a time, one week at a time to get where we want to be at in the conference championship.”
Shannon Belt covers high school sports, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and LSU men’s basketball for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
Project aims to curb dengue by releasing millions of mosquitoes
Google-backed researchers are taking an unusual approach to fighting mosquito-borne diseases: releasing more mosquitoes. The effort, known as Debug, is designed to reduce populations of mosquitoes that spread illnesses such as dengue fever by using specially bred male mosquitoes that cannot produce viable offspring.
Fox – 35 Orlando
Bug spray is an everyday necessity in Louisiana, as mosquitoes in the state are active year-round.
Mosquitoes thrive in Louisiana’s climate, as ample rainfall and bodies of water provide optimal breeding grounds and the insects favor humidity and mild winters.
All of these factors contribute to the state’s high mosquito population, abundant number of mosquito species and high volume of West Nile cases reported annually.
Louisiana and mosquitoes
While the exact count of mosquitoes in Louisiana is impossible to calculate, the state is estimated to have the fourth highest mosquito population in the U.S.
The 10 states with the most mosquitoes, according to World Population Review:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Virginia
The 10 states with the least mosquitoes, according to World Population Review:
- Arizona
- California
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- West Virginia
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
Louisiana has the fourth highest number of mosquito species. How many does the state have?
Louisiana is home to a total of 68 species of mosquito, making it the state with the fourth most species. The three most common species of mosquito in Louisiana include southern house mosquitoes, Asian tiger mosquitoes and floodwater mosquitoes, says J&J Exterminating.
Here’s how Louisiana compares to other states in terms of mosquito species, according to World Population Review:
- Texas: 85
- Florida: 80
- New York: 70
- Louisiana: 68
- Georgia: 63
- South Carolina: 61
- Alabama: 60
- Kentucky: 60
- New Jersey: 60
- North Carolina: 60
- Oklahoma: 60
- Pennsylvania: 60
- Ohio: 59
- Delaware: 57
- Iowa: 57
- New Mexico: 57
- Wisconsin: 56
- Arkansas: 55
- Indiana: 55
- Michigan: 55
- Connecticut: 54
- Illinois: 52
- Massachusetts: 51
- California: 50
- Idaho: 50
- Maryland: 50
- Minnesota: 50
- Mississippi: 50
- Missouri: 50
- Montana: 50
- Nebraska: 50
- Oregon: 50
- Utah: 50
- Virginia: 50
- Rhode Island: 46
- Colorado: 45
- Maine: 45
- Vermont: 45
- Wyoming: 45
- New Hampshire: 43
- South Dakota: 43
- Arizona: 40
- Nevada: 40
- Washington: 40
- North Dakota: 38
- Alaska: 30
- West Virginia: 26
- Tennessee: 9
- Hawaii: 8
- Kansas: 2
Louisiana among states that report the most cases of West Nile virus. How many cases were reported in 2025?
A total of 1,941 cases of West Nile virus were reported in the U.S. in 2025 and 64 were reported in Louisiana the same year, making the state rank ninth for total cases of West Nile reported in 2025.
West Nile virus has been actively spreading throughout Louisiana since its first detection in the state in 2002, says the Louisiana Department of Health.
How Louisiana compares to other states in terms of West Nile virus cases reported in 2025, according to World Population Review:
- Colorado: 283
- Illinois: 136
- Minnesota: 112
- Texas: 104
- California: 98
- North Dakota: 86
- South Dakota: 86
- Pennsylvania: 80
- Louisiana: 64
- Arizona: 63
- New York: 56
- Oklahoma: 53
- Nebraska: 52
- New Mexico: 51
- Iowa: 49
- Utah: 48
- Michigan: 46
- Ohio: 44
- Indiana: 38
- Kentucky: 35
- Missouri: 34
- Mississippi: 32
- Kansas: 29
- Maryland: 27
- Wisconsin: 26
- Virginia: 25
- Alabama: 24
- Arkansas: 24
- New Jersey: 21
- Tennessee: 16
- Georgia: 15
- Wyoming: 14
- Montana: 11
- Idaho: 9
- Massachusetts: 9
- North Carolina: 9
- Connecticut: 6
- Florida: 6
- Washington, D.C.: 4
- South Carolina: 4
- Delaware: 3
- Oregon: 2
- Rhode Island: 2
- Washington: 2
- West Virginia: 2
- Maine: 1
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
A Louisiana pastor who assaulted his church’s neighbor last month has been ordered to stay at least 50 yards away from the young man’s home.
Mark Anthony “Tony” Spell, 48, pastor of Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, was arrested for second-degree battery in June, Roys Report (RR) previously reported. A video of the attack shows Spell punching his 20-year-old neighbor more than 30 times. Spell also threw the man to the ground, sat on top of him, jerked the man’s neck and twisted it, then stood up and kicked him.
A protection order against Spell was issued Friday in Commissioner Kory Tauzin’s Courtroom, reported the Baton Rouge-based Advocate. Tauzin works in the 19th Judicial District Court as a quasi-judge, a person who exercises court-like powers but is not a judge.
The order states that Spell must stay more than 50 yards away from the home of the family that lives across the road from the church, unless he is checking the mail. Spell must also not contact the family in person or electronically, including through social media, the Advocate reported.
RR requested a copy of the protection order from the district clerk but didn’t immediately receive the document.
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RR also emailed Spell at his church for comment, but he didn’t immediately respond.
Spell previously said the 20-year-old neighbor threatened to rape his wife and grandchildren, which the neighbor denied. The two families have been feuding since 2020, when Spell’s church defied COVID-19 lockdown orders.
Scott Sherwin, father of the man Spell punched, had allowed federal authorities to install cameras on his property to surveil the church, RR previously reported. Life Tabernacle is a Oneness Pentecostal church located 14 miles northeast of Baton Rouge.
The elder Sherwin called police on June 25 — two days after Spell’s arrest, according to a police bodycam video obtained by WBRZ-TV Ch. 2, an ABC affiliate in Baton Rouge.
In the police video, Sherwin told police Spell was mowing the church’s lawn at 4 a.m. within 50 yards of his residence. Sherwin told police about a protection order that was in process. Sherwin also said he believed Spell was disturbing the peace and trying to “intimidate” his family by mowing his lawn so early.
“He’s got a protective order and he’s doing this on purpose to keep me and my family awake and drive us insane,” Sherwin told police in the video.
The video next shows police confronting Spell, who was sitting on his mower in the church’s yard. Spell then called Sherwin’s 20-year-old son an anti-gay slur, according to the TV station, which redacted it from the video.
“He’s just sore because I beat the crap out of his f—-t boy,” WBRZ reported Spell saying in the video. “And he’s next if he comes over here and harasses these boys.”
Some teenagers were in the video with Spell holding weed trimmers.
The June incident was at least the second time Spell was arrested for assault, RR previously reported. Spell allegedly backed a bus toward a man who was protesting the church’s decision to stay open during the pandemic. This was also caught on video. Those charges were later dismissed, RR previously reported.
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.
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