Woman bitten by mosquito can't walk or talk: Doctors discove why, say they've not seen this before

A woman who was lively and energetic until a month ago has now lost the ability to speak and cannot even stand up on her own

J.B. (65) from Crvenka has been disabled since September 21. Before that day, she was a hard-working, active and energetic woman, and then she collapsed in the yard of her home and stopped talking and walking. As her family told Telegraf.rs, doctors confirmed that the cause was the West Nile virus.

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This incredible story started after the woman had coffee with some neighbors and family, and as her son tells us, that day, like any other, she seemed normal. She loved to work in the garden, so she was always outdoors, and when the guests left, she suddenly just fell to the ground. At first, the family thought that her blood pressure had increased, but what they were about to face, they could not imagine even in their worst nightmares.

"We were having coffee outside, and when we walked out the neighbors and family members, she got up and just collapsed. We didn't know what was going on. We thought she had a seizure or that her blood pressure was high. We called out to her but she didn't respond, even though she was conscious. We immediately called the ambulance. The doctors came and one of them told her to look at his finger and follow it with her eyes to see if he would respond. However, she couldn't even do that, instead she seemed completely disoriented and her eyes were wandering. It was horrific," says one of the family members of the unfortunate woman.

The doctors immediately took her to the hospital in Sombor and after the examination suggested to the family to take her back home. However, the situation did not improve, and the next day she was hospitalized in Sombor.

"They took her to the hospital, but sent her home in the evening because they thought it was something temporary, but the next morning it was the same. She could not stand, move, or speak. They took her back to the hospital again because we didn't know what to do and then the tests started. They did the blood work, everything possible was done, and the doctors concluded that it was the West Nile virus and that they had never seen a case like this before," said the woman's family.

The scene is terrible every time they visit. A woman who until a month ago was lively and energetic now has lost the ability to speak and cannot even stand up on her own.

"She is like a plant. She has been in the hospital for more than a month and there is no progress. She just sleeps and doesn't get out of bed at all, doesn't talk, doesn't walk. She gets IV, and is fed through a feeding tube," added the distraught family members.

What worries the doctors and the family the most is the fact that all her test results are now good.

"Her results are all good, nothing shows that something is wrong, that is what worries us the most. The results are good, yet the woman is half dead. Now they have also done the MRI of the head, so we are waiting for those results to see what to do next. She was also in Novi Sad at the Clinical Center for a few days, but they didn't know what to do there either, the tests are still ongoing, so they sent her back to Sombor," they tell us.

The family is devastated. Every day they hope to hear some good news, that she might greet them, smile. However, the doctors fear that there is a high chance that she will not walk again.

"It's so hard, we cannot believe that her life changed in one day. We worry a lot because we don't know what awaits us in the future, and the doctors predict that there is a good chance that she won't be able to walk and talk even when she recovers, she might have to relearn everything," they say.

They believe that the mosquito bite occurred when she was out farming. Considering that they have a garden, but also many farm animals, J.B. was rarely indoors, and she never paid attention when she's notice bite marks, because as the family says, it's normal when you work in nature.

Now they can only hope for her recovery, and can do nothing but pray for her.

"Nevertheless, we believe in the best outcome and hope that there will be progress. Now we can only wait and pray," concluded the family members.

West Nile virus registered in 90 people

According to the data from the Batut Institute of Public Health of Serbia, the majority of the reported cases are from the Juzno-Backi (South Backa) District in the northern province of Vojvodina - 24, followed by Belgrade - 23.

West Nile fever is a seasonal disease transmitted by mosquitoes infected with the virus.

Batut Institute's recommendations

- use repellents on exposed parts of the body when outdoors

- wear light colored clothes with long sleeves and pants. It is best that they are loose, because mosquitoes can bite through tight clothing

- avoid being outdoors during the period of the most intense activity of mosquitoes - at dusk and at dawn

- use protective mosquito nets on windows, doors and around beds

- if possible, stay in air-conditioned rooms, the number of insects there is significantly reduced

- avoid areas with a large number of insects, such as forests and wetlands

- at least once a week empty the water from under flower pots, food and water bowls for pets, from buckets, barrels and cans

- remove discarded tires and other items that can collect water (and allow mosquitoes to breed)

(Telegraf.rs)