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West Nile virus hits Kansas, has long-lasting effects on patients
VICKY DÍAZ-CAMACHO
@vickyd_c
The West Nile virus hit Kansas this month, according to a Kansas Department of Health and Environment news release. So far, one Kansas woman has been severely infected.
The KDHE confirmed the first person to be infected with the virus in Kansas this year on June 10. Currently, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma are the only four states where humans have been infected this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated report.
In 2013 there were 92 cases of West Nile virus in the state of Kansas. That number fell to 54 in 2014, the KHDE report shows. So far in 2015, there's just one: Mary Powell from Ash Grove.
Powell works in agriculture and most of her work is done outside, which made her more susceptible to the West Nile virus. Today, she's forced to rest because of muscle aches
and fatigue.
"My recovery is much slower as I have to avoid the heat, making my job more difficult. I am only working part days, and it is hard for me to do that," Powell said. "The fatigue is awful; I just can hardly keep going, and I have to rest a lot or I get real shaky. I am very stiff and my muscles ache a lot."
She has had three IVs for dehydration so far, lost her appetite and her blood pressure has drastically fluctuated. Before her diagnosis, she felt weak and fainted. It took several blood tests to determine it was the mosquito-spread virus.
"This virus is wicked, and I've never had to fight this hard to get well before," Powell said.
She said day-to-day activities are difficult to handle, and her doctor recently ordered bed rest for a month. It's been almost six weeks since she was infected, but the symptoms have progressed. The CDC reports that less than 1 percent of infected people develop a "serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness."
"When you hear that West Nile virus is around, people don't really see the concern," said Savannah Abbott, a fifth-year senior at the University majoring in public administration and policy.
That all changed for her when her mother, Georgia Abbott, almost died from the virus a few years ago. Before then, she didn't think of how severe it could be, she said.
In February about three years ago, doctors quarantined Georgia because they couldn't find the cause of her symptoms.
Even though Georgia contracted West Nile years ago, the virus has had long-term effects. Some individuals with a mild infection feel fatigued with muscle aches while others, like Georgia, get worse symptoms, the CDC reports.
"Because of the West Nile [virus], she got acute seizures, lymph node issues with her throat, and I guess the doctors say it's because her immune system was shot," Savannah said. "They said it was good she was
[40 when she was infected] because she could fight it. But if she had had a weak heart, she probably wouldn't have made it."
At the time, Georgia was hospitalized for three weeks. Today, she needs to take prescription medication to keep her immune system strong for her thyroid and vertigo when symptoms arise. She also suffers sleep apnea.
"It's just sad now she will still have to deal with the aftermath of what made her so sick," Savannah said. "Now she has to get all the pharmaceuticals for the rest of her life because of the bug bite."
This June, the Kansas Biological Survey saw a spike in a mosquito type that carries West Nile around Sedgwick County, said Aimee Rosenow, public information officer at the KDHE.
"We saw this early on because we were doing research," Rosenow said.
Prevalence of West Nile virus by state, Jan. - June 2015
Most people infected with the virus, about 70 to 80 percent, have no symptoms, according to the CDC.
Powell recalled feeling dizzy and what she described as "heart flutterings."
Rosenow said there was an uptick in a certain type of mosquito population known for spreading the virus. However, none of the mosquitos in their collection have tested positive yet, Rosenow said. Researchers with the biological survey capture, test and report mosquitoes from nine sites in and around the Wichita area weekly.
"It's really hard to predict year-toear how many cases we will have," Rosenow said.
For now, health officials advise those who work outdoors to remain covered with long-sleeved shirts and pants, wear insect repellent and contact their doctors if any symptoms occur.
"West Nile virus itself isn't forever, but [it's] the other things that became problematic," Savannah said.
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