To better fight “abnormally thick swarms of mosquitoes” in the parish, the Cameron Parish Police Jury and the Cameron Parish Mosquito Abatement Board want to suspend pesticide application regulations for five months.

Cameron Parish has the highest mosquito population count in the state, according to Louisiana Mosquito Control Association President Josh Hightower.

Mosquitoes are vectors for diseases such as West Nile virus, Zika virus and dengue fever.

The threat demands “immediate and coordinated action to mitigate it,” the Police Jury declared in a unanimous resolution.

The parish wants rules altered through October to fight the present crop of mosquitoes “to lessen the likelihood of vector-borne illnesses” – a serious threat to public health and safety and livestock.

“Effective application of mosquito control measures may require deviations from standard pesticide application protocols, including the need for more frequent applications than current regulations allow,” the resolution states.

Livestock are vulnerable for blood loss from bites and exhaustion from constantly moving to avoid mosquitoes.

“Important and urgent measures are required to control the mosquito population prevent the spread of disease,” the resolution states.

Cameron Parish Mosquito Abatement is currently utilizing every tool at its disposal to combat the ongoing outbreak. The problem began in October 2023 as a result of:

Past drought conditions.

High waters from the Sabine River.

Winter tides and rains.

These record populations have persisted and continue to flourish. There is little sign the problem will diminish this summer.

To carry out the stepped-up response it proposes, the Police Jury has formally asked for collaboration and coordination between Cameron Parish Mosquito Abatement and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the state Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Authority.