NEW ORLEANS - The number of West Nile virus cases this year in Louisiana has risen to 26. That's up from 24 earlier this month.

Details released Friday by Louisiana's health department show that 16 of those cases involve serious infections of the brain or other parts of the nervous system. Eight infections caused the flu-like West Nile fever.

Two people who were infected showed no symptoms.

There have been no deaths so far this year from the mosquito-borne virus.