Gina Gaubert celebrated her 51st birthday in a hospital bed after contracting the West Nile virus from a mosquito in Luling.
Gaubert was bitten by several mosquitoes on Sept. 17 and woke up the next day with a severe headache. On Sept. 19, she was running a high fever. Two days later she was having difficulty walking around her living room.
Family members eventually convinced Gaubert to go to St. Charles Parish Hospital after she began vomiting.
She would remain in a hospital bed for the next two weeks.Gaubert is still suffering from symptoms of the virus, including weakened muscles and memory loss.
“I would rather be dead,” she said. “I feel like my muscles are being pulled away from my bones.”
For Gaubert, the worst part of the virus has been dealing with memory loss. She worked in St. Charles Parish Hospital’s accounts payable department for 30 years before retiring in 2012.
“I’m a person who remembered everything. I worked with numbers for years, but now I’m at the point where I can’t remember anything,” she said. “I had heard of people getting West Nile, but I never thought I would get it. I hardly ever get sick.”
Now Gaubert is taking pain medication and Tylenol until her symptoms subside.
Gaubert is the first person in more than two years to contract the West Nile virus in St. Charles Parish. Last week, chickens in New Sarpy and Des Allemands tested positive for West Nile, joining previous positive tests from birds in Destrehan, St. Rose and Paradis.
Steve Pavlovich, an entomologist with Mosquito Control, said the peak time for West Nile transmission is from late July through October. He said that Mosquito Control has increased spraying around the parish after hearing about Gaubert’s case.
“We have done several consecutive sprays of the area, gone after immature mosquitoes in drains and ditches and done door-to-door inspections,” he said. “Even though it is getting cooler, people still need to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes when they go outside.”
Pavlovich said precautions include wearing long sleeves and pants while outside and using mosquito repellent. He said residents can help reduce mosquito breeding grounds by not leaving standing water around their homes.
People should also try to avoid being outdoors during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, Pavlovich said.So far this year, 104 people have tested positive for the West Nile virus in Louisiana.
Residents who are 65 years and older are at higher risk for complications, but everyone is at risk for infection.
Be the first to comment