LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — Bird flu is a topic that dominated health headlines as 2024 drew to a close and it’s likely to continue to do so in 2025 but there were also other major events impacting your health over the past year.
First, September brought us a heat wave during the UL/Tulane game. It was 96° that day with a heat index of 108° in a packed stadium with poor circulation that added five to 10 degrees. The stadium briefly ran out of water by the second half, so heat exhaustion was just a matter of time and conditioning. A total of 61 fans were treated for heat exhaustion and five were sent to the hospital.
Next was the Listeria recall of deli meat from the company Boar's Head in which 61 people were hospitalized across 19 states and 10 people died. Commonly found in a farm environment, Listeria can easily contaminate an entire processing plant if not handled properly. This recall affected over 200,000 lbs. of meat.
Next, the US birthrate hit an all-time low. Peaking with the baby boomers in 1960, there has been a 48% drop in the birthrate with another 5% drop predicted by 2030. Birth control in the 1960s, the recession in 2007, and COVID in 2020 were contributing factors. Now, there were both pros and cons to this trend.
Lastly, bird flu continued to dominate the headlines for 2024. Type A H5N1 influenza has moved from birds to mammals, infecting 61 people this year. The first severe case occurred in southwest Louisiana. To date, human-to-human transmission has not been seen and the threat to the general public remains low. This story will likely continue throughout this year.
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LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — The calendar may read fall, but in south Louisiana, there's still plenty of heat in the forecast. In fact, dozens were treated for heat-related illnesses at both the UL and LSU football games this weekend. We saw many cases of heat exhaustion during the football games this weekend, so let’s examine why.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — A recall due to a listeria outbreak involving certain deli meat is growing in the wake of nine deaths and dozens of illnesses. Listeria contamination has forced the company, Boar's Head, to issue a recall of its deli meat. Since we first brought you this story, the number of ill and dead continue to climb.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — There's a nationwide recall of some Boar’s Head deli meats, which is sold at Rouses and other stores. It comes in the wake of a listeria outbreak that's sickened 40 people and resulted in three deaths. Stopping the spread starts in your refrigerator.
(KADN) — Fertility rates in the US just hit an all-time record low but there are pros and cons within this latest report by the CDC. Starting with the historical data, the birth rate peaked with the Baby Boomers between 1946 and 1964, and there has been a steady decline ever since. Contributing events include birth control in the 1960s, the recession in 2007, and COVID in 2020.
LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — The Louisiana Department of Health reported on Thursday, December 19, that avian flu has been detected in a second backyard flock in the state, this one in southwest Louisiana. It follows the CDC reporting that a Louisiana patient hospitalized in Lake Charles is the first severe human case of bird flu in the country. The patient is from southwest Louisiana, over 65, and hospitalized in critical condition. The source is likely exposure to a backyard flock of birds.
LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — Louisiana health officials have confirmed the state's first human case of bird flu. The infected person lives in southwest Louisiana and is currently hospitalized. But what exactly is bird flu and how does it spread? Bird flu is an influenza virus that is also known as Type A H5N1 influenza or (HPAI) Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. In some birds, it's a fairly aggressive, often deadly influenza virus. It lives and multiplies in wild birds.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — New CDC data tracking cases of bird flu in cattle shows it could be more widespread than predicted because there's now the first known human case of this strain. The virus's spread from birds to mammals to humans is causing concern.
(KADN) — A rare human case of bird flu marks the first time it’s gone from mammal to human. A man caught bird flu from an infected cow. So, what is bird flu and why are officials concerned?
