Louisiana Department of Health

The Louisiana Departments of Health, Environmental Quality and Wildlife and Fisheries issued a series of fish consumption advisories for 11 bodies of water. Because of mercury contamination, there are now fish consumption advisories for 51 waterways in Louisiana and one for the Gulf of Mexico.

“This change is an exciting development for the thousands of Louisianans who have struggled to find providers to care for them,” said LDH Secretary Dr. Ralph Abraham. “A workforce shortage is one of the biggest challenges we face here in Louisiana as we work to improve mental health outcomes. This change — led by our Medicaid and Office of Behavioral Health teams — is an important step in expanding the availability of providers and critical mental health services for Louisiana residents.”

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is reminding the public to take precautions against mosquito bites that can expose people to West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus. In Louisiana, we typically see more mosquito activity in the warmer summer months, increasing the risk for mosquito-borne diseases like WNV and dengue.