• Health Complaints related to oil spill: 324
• Current Surveillance Report Summary
• CDC Information on potential health risks
• Reporting of Oil Spill-Related Illnesses and Injuries to DHH
• Coastal Residents Assisted by Louisiana Spirit Counselors: 3,700

As of 7/26/2010 - 6:15 PM CST

• Oyster Harvest Area Closures 
• Beach Advisories are posted by DHH's Beach Monitoring Program. Click here to go to the site.
• Directory of Resources for Louisiana Residents Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
• Oil Spill Guidance - English - Spanish - Vietnamese
• Frequently Asked Questions - English - Spanish - Vietnamese
• Oil Spill Facts
• DHH has issued guidance on how to clean skin if contact is made with oil and on advising residents to not swim or fish in areas along the coast impacted by the oil spill. To read the release, click here.
• DHH is working with DEQ and the EPA to monitor air quality in the impacted areas. While there may be a petroleum odor, the fumes do not pose a health risk. Residents should stay indoors if the odors, which may cause nausea or headaches, bother them.

• The Human Toll of the Oil Spill
  CNN - 6.30.2010
• Oil Spill and Mental Health
  CNN - 6.28.2010
• EPA Orders BP to Stop Using Dispersant
  WAFB Channel 9 - 5.15.2010
• More Oyster Beds Closed As a Precaution
  WWL-TV Channel 4 - 5.12.2010
• Health Concerns From Oil Spill
  WDSU-TV – 5.2.2010
• Controversy Over Oil Dispersant
  WVUE –TV Fox 8 News – 5.1.2010
• It's Not A Health Hazard
  WGNO – TV ABC 26 – 5.1.2010

1. Can I eat Louisiana seafood (oysters, fish, shrimp)?
   Yes. DHH’s Environmental Health Program is monitoring seafood to ensure it’s safe for consumption. Fishing areas impacted by the spill are closed to fishing and oyster collection. Any seafood available at retailers comes from non-closed waters. Seafood that is deemed unsafe will not be allowed on the market by regulatory agencies.
    
2. How can I tell if an oyster is contaminated by oil?
   If an oyster is contaminated by oil, it will have an oily smell and taste and an oily appearance.
    
3. If I’m on the water and I notice the presence of oil, who do I call?
   Leave the area and call the DHH Molluscan Shellfish Program’s 24 hour hotline at 1-800-256-2775, or the BP 24 hour hotline at 1-866-448-5816.

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