A parishwide emergency has been declared in the wake of the West Nile virus threat being posed by mosquitoes.

St. Mary Parish President Bill Cefalu signed the declaration this morning and will send it to the state government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help local governments recoup any expenses they incur in their respective mosquito abatement programs.

The declaration states the virus has been identified as being present in St. Mary, that it "constitutes a public health risk" for residents.

Cefalu stated that an emergency situation now exists in the parish due to the presence of the West Nile virus.

He said the parish should be in line for some of the money distributed by FEMA to the state for mosquito abatement programs.

Cefalu’s action apparently means the five municipal governments won’t have to declare emergencies individually to qualify for funding assistance.

The West Nile virus was detected in two sentinel chickens in the Baldwin and Charenton areas last month. To date, there has been no reported infection in the rest of the parish, although most believe that is inevitable due to the widespread outbreaks in other areas of south Louisiana.

Cefalu urged cities which have started spraying for mosquitoes to "keep good records on the money spent before and after this declaration because that’s going to allow them to recoup some of their losses."

Louisiana will get $3.4 million to control the mosquitoes which spread West Nile virus, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

"What we want you to do with that is identify your highest priorities and use these dollars to go out and get the job done," Dr. Julie Gerberding told Gov. Mike Foster on his weekly radio show, "Live Mike."

That money is part of $10 million being made available to states to fight the virus, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said.

The money is separate from Foster’s $13.7 million request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Foster said he talked with people at FEMA on Thursday.

"There was some guarded encouragement there. We’ll probably know something in the next week," Foster said.

Gerberding emphasized that individuals can make the biggest difference in the spread of West Nile infections. "The most important message is, you can prevent infection with this virus," she said. "Fight the bite."

That means use insect repellent including DEET, wear long, loose, light clothes, and clear any standing water from yards, Gerberding said.

"The cases in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi have gotten a lot of attention because of the sheer number this early in the transmission season," West Nile expert Lyle Petersen said.

The CDC already had two dozen people in Louisiana, helping state health workers tally the rising number of cases and conducting several other studies.

Louisiana’s case total may go far higher than it would otherwise because the CDC is in the state looking for people with the infection.

In addition, CDC teams are trapping mosquitoes and taking blood from wild birds to see how many and which species are carrying the virus.

Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced that the manufacturer has offered the state 540 cases of Cutter insect repellent — just under 6,500 cans — for tourist give-aways.

Each carload of tourists stopping at one of Louisiana’s 10 visitor centers or staying overnight at a state park will be given a can.

Meanwhile, visitor centers have been buying repellent so tourists can spray themselves outside, then return the can to the counter, she said. That will continue once the Cutter repellent is gone. The cost to her department for the purchases has been minimal, she said.

"We’re open to any other brands that would like to do this," she said.

DHH secretary David Hood said he wanted to point out that only about 1 percent of mosquitoes are infected, and only one of 150 people bitten by an infected mosquito is likely to have a serious illness.