A Luling woman who contracted West Nile after being bitten by a mosquito tested positive for the most severe form of the virus, according to the Department of Health & Hospitals.
Gina Gaubert, 51, was bitten by mosquitoes last month and awoke the next day with a severe headache. Soon after, she developed a high fever, began vomiting and had trouble walking around her living room.
Gaubert was hospitalized for two weeks and still suffers from weakened muscles and memory loss.
“I would rather be dead,” she said. “I feel like my muscles are being pulled away from my bones.”
According to the DHH, Gaubert tested positive for West Nile neuroinvasive disease, which affects the brain and spinal cord and is much more severe than the West Nile fever. The neuroinvasive disease can lead to death, paralysis and brain damage.
Only a very small number of people infected with West Nile show the serious symptoms associated with the neuroinvasive disease.
Last year there were 34 cases of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease in Louisiana, which was down from 2002’s high of 204 cases.
“News coverage has been dominated by concern for Ebola, but it is so important to remember that West Nile virus is a very present threat in Louisiana, especially for our loved ones who may have weak immune systems because of an existing medical condition or because of age,” Dr. Raoult Ratard, DHH state epidemiologist, said. “Even a short time outside, particularly during dusk or dawn, may pose a risk of infection. It only takes one mosquito bite from an infected mosquito to cause serious medical complications for an individual.
“It can’t be repeated enough that long sleeves and pants, plus mosquito repellent, are the best ways to fight the bite.”
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