The family of a man battling West Nile virus (WNV) is sharing his story as case numbers rise in Illinois.
"On Saturday he started feeling really bad. He got weaker and weaker, started running a high fever," said Barb Hartnett about her brother, David.
"To the point where on Sunday, we couldn’t get him in the car to get him to the hospital, so we had to call the paramedics."
Hartnett said her brother's illness started with flu-like symptoms. The diagnosis was shocking to the healthy father of three.
"He bikes like 30 miles a day," said Hartnett. "It’s been really horrific."
David is expected to fully recover, but he'll spend at least two more weeks in inpatient rehabilitation rebuilding strength in his right leg, which is still very weak.
"His doctor said because he had no cognitive impairment, his mobility will come back. It's just going to be a long haul."
Most people infected with WNV are asymptomatic. About one in five develop a fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 150 develop a serious, sometimes fatal illness.
"The most common symptoms are headaches. People can get a rash," Dr. Tom Oryszczak told NBC Chicago. "Muscle aches are certainly common. Difficulty concentrating, feeling fatigued."
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Dr. Oryszczak is the Chief Medical Officer at Northwest Community Hospital where David is being treated, and said it's rare patients need hospitalization.
"It would probably be less than 1%. Those people typically have neurologic symptoms where they start having problems with neurologic function. For instance, they get severe weakness or become confused."
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there are 41 confirmed WNV cases in the state, with 31 of them in Cook County.
While this year is not setting records, case numbers are outpacing 2022.
"The Chicago area is generally known as a hot spot for human cases of West Nile Virus in the Midwest," said Patrick Irwin, an entomologist at Northwest Mosquito Abatement District.
Irwin says that's because of the area's dense population and storm water infrastructure. The weather also makes a difference.
"When we see a lot of West Nile Virus tends to be when we have hot, dry conditions," said Irwin. "That seems to be the perfect storm for it. In 2018, we had a hot dry period. In 2012, which was the worst year in my memory, we were in drought conditions for most of the season."
Arlington Heights is one of several suburban communities currently considered at high risk for transmission of WNV based on testing.
On August 23, IDPH announced the first Illinois human WNV-related death of the year. The individual, who was in their 90’s, lived in suburban Cook County.
Then on Tuesday, DuPage County confirmed its first two human deaths due to WNV of the year, an Addison resident in their 70s and a West Chicago resident in their 60s.
Experts say mosquito season and the threat for WNV doesn't end until the first hard frost. They encourage continued precautions, even as temperatures cool.
"Make sure every time you’re going outside, you’re wearing mosquito repellent. Avoid going outdoors at times of the highest mosquito activity, which is dusk and dawn. The most important thing you can do to reduce the mosquitoes that would put you at risk, is to reduce standing water in and around your home," said Laura Mcgowan, a spokesperson for Clarke Mosquito Control.
'The Culex mosquito, a WNV vector, can lay 200-300 eggs at a time every 5-7 days. It’s really important to make sure you are disrupting that system by tipping out the water where mosquitoes breed."
