Louisiana has a long history of vector-borne disease transmission, including yellow fever, malaria and dengue. However, there has been no yellow fever transmission in the state for 100 years, and it has been approximately 50 years since the last local malaria and dengue transmission. In recent years, Louisiana has seen an increase in the number of arbovirus-related encephalitis cases occurring in the state. From the later half of the 20th century until 2002, St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus was the most common mosquito-transmitted virus in Louisiana, while Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus occurred less frequently but with more severe disease. In July 2001, West Nile (WNV) virus was isolated for the first time in the State of Louisiana. Since then, WNV has become the most commonly identified arbovirus in the state, with more than 550 identified human cases and 39 deaths from 2001 through 2004.

Currently, the State of Louisiana tests dead wild birds (submitted by residents to parish sanitarians) sentinel chickens, live-collected wild birds, and mosquitoes for evidence of arbovirus infection throughout the year.
In association with the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association, the Louisiana Office of Public Health, the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, the Tulane University Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Image Understanding Lab, the Center for Applied Environmental Public Health, and the Tulane University Center for Infectious Diseases, this active arbovirus surveillance database and system called Louisiana ARBONET is maintained to support arbovirus detection and disease prevention. This secure resource is intended for the use of mosquito control professionals and vector-borne disease researchers for online input and report of surveillance data.