Latest news with #LouisianaDepartmentofHealth
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top 5 stories from the Shreveport Times this week: Louisiana snakes, rodents on traps at restaurants
It has been a busy week in the news cycle for the Shreveport-Bossier area. If you need a refresher on what you missed, here are the top five stories from the Shreveport Times. Louisiana lakes with the highest snake populations according to WorldAtlas Louisiana is home to approximately 48 species of snakes, and seven of those species are venomous. In Louisiana lakes, the most common non-venomous snakes that are found include the banded water snake, the diamond back water snake and the common garter snake. Conversely, the most common venomous snakes found in Louisiana lakes include cottonmouths, also referred to as water moccasins, and copperheads. Rodents on traps, dirty surfaces | Top Caddo Parish restaurant inspections June 22-28 The Times obtained food safety inspection information for the week of June 22-28, 2025, from the Louisiana Department of Health. The top three addresses with the most critical violations in Caddo Parish are listed, along with an explanation of the finding. All restaurants on the list had at least three critical violations. When will it cool down in Louisiana? Fall 2025 weather forecast by Old Farmer's Almanac This year, fall will officially begin on Monday, Sept. 22, which marks the arrival of the vernal equinox. For the deep South, which includes Louisiana, September and October are predicted to be warmer than normal, with below-normal rainfall in the north and near-normal amounts in the South, says The Old Farmer's Almanac. Study reveals the most stolen vehicle in each state. Find out Louisiana's most stolen car More than 850,000 vehicles were stolen in the United States, with an average of one car being stolen every 37 seconds, in 2024 alone. The most stolen car in Louisiana is a Hyundai Elantra, with approximately 360 vehicles stolen, according to the 2024 auto-theft insurance claims filed with the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In Louisiana, Bill Cassidy raises mountain of cash to defend seat against MAGA Republicans Louisiana incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy continues to build a mountain of money to defend his seat in 2026 against at least two GOP opponents who question his MAGA credentials. Cassidy's campaign announced Louisiana's senior senator will report $9 million cash on hand after raising $2.1 million more in the second quarter. More: Top 5 stories from the Shreveport Times this week: Friendliest small town, cotton in Louisiana Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@ This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Top 5 stories from the Shreveport Times this week: Louisiana snakes, rodents on traps at restaurants Solve the daily Crossword
American Press
25-06-2025
- Health
- American Press
LDH confirms first human West Nile virus of season
(Metro Creative Services) Special to the American Press The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed the state's first human case of West Nile virus of the mosquito season. This case was confirmed in an individual from Livingston Parish who was hospitalized due to complications from the infection. About 1 in 150 people who are infected with West Nile 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, West Nile activity has been confirmed in 14 parishes. In 2024, there were 57 confirmed human cases of West Nile in Louisiana, including three deaths.
Axios
09-06-2025
- Health
- Axios
Louisiana on track for record whooping cough cases
Whooping cough is spreading faster in Louisiana than it has in more than a decade, and health officials warn that this year could set a record for cases. Why it matters: Adults need to take precautions to keep infants safe, doctors say, because they are most at risk for complications from the illness. The big picture: Louisiana has had 170 cases reported as of May 14, surpassing the number for the entire year of 2024, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The current record of 214 cases was set in 2013. Threat level: Two babies have died in Louisiana since September, marking the state's first deaths from whooping cough, or pertussis, since 2018, LDH says. Since September, 42 people have been hospitalized, with about 70% of them younger than 12 months. So far this year, the pertussis case rate for infants in Louisiana is at least seven times higher than all other age groups, LDH says. Cases are increasing nationally as well. Health officials attribute some of the rise in cases to declining vaccination rates and waning immunity. What he's saying:"It is a horrible disease," says Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Babies really do struggle to catch their breath, and sometimes they stop breathing altogether and it's terrifying to watch." When babies are being hospitalized with whooping cough, he said it's an indicator that more adolescents and adults also have it but probably haven't been diagnosed. The babies usually get exposed because someone else in the household is coughing, he said. How it works: Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It spreads through coughing, sneezing and close contact, LDH says. Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, intense coughing fits and post-coughing vomiting for two to three weeks. Severe cases can hinder breathing and last for months. Zoom in: Two vaccines (Tdap and DTaP) prevent serious complications, LDH says, and are available for children and adults. But protection fades over time. LDH recommends that adults get a booster shot every 10 years. Medical providers can do a nasal swab test to check if you have whooping cough. Antibiotics treat the symptoms and the spread if given early, LDH says. What to do for teens and adults: If you have a cough and are around babies, seek medical attention earlier than you would if you aren't around babies, Sharfstein encourages. Tell the doctor you live with or interact with an infant regularly, because the doctor may think differently about your cough, he said. Check your vaccine records, and get a booster if needed, he advised. For babies: "I would say a cough that doesn't look right to the parents always needs to be checked out by the doctor," Sharfstein said, especially if it is a persistent cough that's interfering with a child's ability to do normal things. He encourages parents to create a cocoon around infants by making sure everyone is vaccinated and gets tested quickly if they have a cough. Go deeper
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana to get $359K for water quality monitoring at beaches
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The state will get $359,000 in funding to monitor water quality as summer nears and people travel to Louisiana's beaches to beat the heat. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant for monitoring and notifying communities of high levels of bacteria. 'Ensuring the safety of beaches allows all Americans to have fun in the sun while providing an economic boost to coastal communities,' said Regional Administrator Scott Mason. 'I applaud Administrator Zeldin's initiative for ensuring our economies along the Gulf of America are vibrant and thriving.' Why you may not want to use last summer's sunscreen Over 10 beaches are under an advisory as of the most recent samples from May 27. LDH's Beach Monitoring Program tests water at sites along the coast weekly from May to October for enterococci bacteria. See which Louisiana beaches are under advisory: Constance Beach Cypremort Point State Park Beach Long (Dung) Beach Gulf Breeze Beach Grand Isle Beach Site #2 Grand Isle Beach Site #3 Grand Isle State Park Site #1 Grand Isle State Park Site #2 Grand Isle State Park Site #3 Grand Isle State Park Site #4 Holly Beach Site #1 Holly Beach Site #2 Holly Beach Site #3 Holly Beach Site #4 Holly Beach Site #5 Holly Beach Site #6 Lake Chares North Beach Little Florida Beach Martin (Mae's) Beach Rutherford Beach Planning a trip to the coast soon? Click here to see the latest advisories. According to LDH's 2024 report on beaches in Louisiana, bacteria densities were higher than in 2023 and higher than historic norms at several beaches, including Constance Beach Complex, Holly Beach, Lake Charles North Beach and Rutherford Beach. Supreme Court narrows scope of environmental reviews in Utah railroad case See fish kills in Louisiana? Here's how to report it to LDWF Red Stick Mom shares summer fun guide for Baton Rouge families Former NICU nurse accused of abusing babies now allowed to see brother's children Federal court blocks most of President Trump's tariffs Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A bill to rein in Medicaid fraud could push out eligible Louisianans, critics warn
A bill aimed at strengthening oversight of Louisiana's Medicaid program unanimously passed the state's senate Tuesday. Senate Bill 130, sponsored by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, seeks to implement a series of data-driven checks and technological tools to ensure that only eligible residents receive Medicaid benefits. The bill requires the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to conduct regular cross-checks with state and federal agencies, including the Department of Revenue and Social Security Administration. LDH must also review death records monthly, verify incarceration status quarterly and independently determine eligibility. It also limits automatic (ex parte) renewals unless required by federal law, with a phase-out of current waivers by January 2026. The bill is part of a broader effort to curb waste and fraud in the program, which provides health coverage to more than 1.8 million low-income Louisianans. But critics of the bill warn that the proposed changes could create administrative hurdles for eligible individuals and lead to disenrollment of vulnerable residents due to paperwork errors or data discrepancies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'We know that any time that there is any additional step for verification, it's an opportunity for someone to lose coverage,' said Courtney Foster, senior policy advisor for Medicaid at Invest in Louisiana, a nonpartisan policy research organization. 'A lot of what this bill says will be savings is for people getting kicked off of Medicaid.' That doesn't necessarily mean that all of those people that are getting kicked off are ineligible, Foster said. It could just mean that they didn't respond to official correspondence. Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, brought up these concerns on the senate floor. 'If for whatever reason I don't answer the first time, or I think it's junk mail, it gets thrown out,' Boudreaux said. 'How do we have comfort knowing that on the certification process, that we're going to go above and beyond before we drop people off of the Medicaid rolls?' Cloud responded saying the bill doesn't change the current process for removing people from Medicaid if they don't meet eligibility requirements. The removal process, as she explained it, starts when LDH identifies a possible issue with a person's Medicaid eligibility — such as needing to verify income or address — they begin by sending a letter requesting more information. This initial letter follows federal guidelines and allows five days for delivery. After that, LDH gives the person an additional 15 days to respond. During this combined 20-day window, the department also tries to contact them through other means, including phone calls, emails and text messages, to make sure they know what's needed to keep their coverage. If there's still no response after 20 days, LDH sends an official 'advance notice of termination' letting the person know their Medicaid coverage will end. This notice must be sent at least 15 days before the termination takes effect. Because Medicaid coverage usually ends at the end of a month, this timing can sometimes give people a bit of extra time — potentially another full month of coverage — before they're removed from the rolls. Cloud added that even after someone is dropped from Medicaid, they have another 90 days to provide the needed information and get their coverage reinstated retroactively. 'So theoretically, they have up to 125 days after the first [letter] was sent out to get their coverage reinstated if they are terminated,' Cloud said. 'It would be as if they'd never lost coverage. So that gave me a lot of comfort.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The fiscal note says reducing enrollment of ineligible recipients could save $74.9 million by 2026 and $941.5 million over five years, including state and federal dollars. The methodology for this savings includes the state assuming a majority of applicants won't respond to requests for more information, and only a fraction will attempt to re-enroll. Foster said most of the savings would come from procedural denials, not necessarily policy improvements. And the cost-savings associated with the bill are 'questionable,' she said, because most of the time, when someone loses Medicaid coverage, they don't realize it until the next time they go to the doctor or emergency room. That could mean people who are disenrolled from Medicaid for procedural reasons, but do qualify for coverage, may simply get back on Medicaid. 'A lot of people who will be kicked off are likely eligible and may roll back on within a couple of months,' Foster said. Implementing the bill would also cost money, including operating expenses of $139,297 for printing and postage, $4.5 million for professional services, like system modifications and subscription services, and $104,050 for equipment, like computers and phones. It also calls for creating 50 new positions with salaries and benefits, which Foster said adds additional layers of bureaucracy dedicated to 'kicking people off of Medicaid.' It's also important to remember, Foster said, that Medicaid beneficiaries are not the ones getting paid. The program gives low-income people access to consistent health care coverage. 'It's people that are showing up to the doctor and then maybe the doctor should be getting paid from one source versus another,' Foster said. 'But the patient themselves is just going to the doctor.' If signed into law, the bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. This report was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Alabama, WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana and NPR. Support for public health coverage comes from The Commonwealth Fund.
