Louisiana confirms four West Nile deaths

BATON ROUGE, Louisana (CNN) -- The West Nile virus has caused three more deaths in Louisiana, bringing the summer's death toll in the state to four, all in this week, health officials said Friday.

Since Monday, the outbreak has spread nearly throughout the state, the Department of Health and Hospitals said in a news release.

The three new deaths and 26 new cases of illness caused by the virus occurred in Orleans, Calcasieu and Ouachita parishes, the health department said.

In addition to an 83-year-old woman from Baton Rouge who died earlier in the week, the dead include a 53-year-old man from Folsom, a 75-year-old man from Baton Rouge and a 72-year-old man from Iowa in Calcasieu Parish.

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Gov. Mike Foster is declaring a state of emergency, making the state eligible for federal funds to fight a rash of infections of West Nile, said Steven Johnston, his deputy press secretary.

"We hope that the federal government is able to respond quickly and effectively," said the health department Secretary David Hood.

"It is becoming quite evident that the broad nature of this outbreak is going to quickly deplete both state and local funds dedicated to the epidemiological efforts, laboratory testing, surveillance and mosquito-control efforts."

The number of cases is expected to increase and to spread into other areas of Louisiana, according to department spokesman Bob Johannessen.

At least 10 other hospitalized patients suspected to have the disease are being tested for the virus, he said. Lab tests take about a day to complete.