BellaOnline Forums Family Early Childhood West Nile Virus

There is real concern among parents about the West Nile Virus. As far as I know at this time all those who have perished from the virus were older adults but it's still causing some fear among parents.

What are you doing, if anything, differently? How big of a concern do you think it is?

I have a creek that runs across the back of my property and there have been confirmed cases of the virus within 20 miles of my home, so I'm very concerned. I am keeping my kids in during the peak hours of dusk and dawn. When we do go out, we keep our eyes open.

We talked to our older kids about it and explained what they need to watch for too. Have you talked with your kids? What are you saying?

I was putting repellent on my middle dd at night and when she went outside. She seems to be the only one of my kids who get bug bites! I get them too, but she gets them BAD, like they feast on her poor little arms and legs! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, they havent been as bad lately so I have slacked off. But I decided I want going to worry myself to death over this.

I know of a lady who got bit by a mosquito while pregnant and died, they saved the baby. But, this was almost 20 years ago, and I have always tried to be careful, but not too...hyper...about it, if you know what I mean!

Lawanda I know what you mean about not getting hyper over it. My dh though is about to drive me nuts with it. He listens to a lot of talk radio and there all kinds of theories and stuff floating on those airwaves. But he worries more than I do about this virus.

I do admit to keeping the kids in at those peak times but that's about it. My little ones both have really sensitive skin and can't use bug repellants. Thankfully bugs don't seem to like them.

I heard a staggering number of confirmed cases on CNN but I can't remember the exact number. It was somewhere around 555 with something like 28 deaths. I can't remember the number but I do remember thinking "wow, I had no idea there were that many".

My dh also pointed out that we didn't hear about this virus 5 years ago. I wonder if we didn't hear about it because it was misdiagnosed or if it is something that has just taken time to get to the states?

I dont know! I know there are a lot of cases of it...and I definitely think about it.

But, I have always heard that mosquito bites can cause encephalitis or whatever it is. Is that bad? I cant remember the name of it, but it is what causes people to die if they get West Nile.

So, I just wonder if it has just been misdiagnosed in the past...

But who knows! It is like the kidnappings that are seemingly rampant on the news! Really there are less kidnappings now than ever before, but just more news about it!

So, I dont watch the news anymore. Havent for about a year (Well, since 9-11) and I just let my parents and grandma tell me the news. It is all so bad, that if I worried over all of it, worrying is all I would EVER do!!!

Really though, isn't it less than 10 deaths a year? Over 100 people a year die from lightning strikes, and way more than that die from car crashes and bike accidents and even household accidents. I mean, don't 10 people a year get killed by sharks in the US? And we still go in the ocean ...

We still drive cars, and ride bikes, and walk around in our homes ... and we live during storms. It amazes me that this huge amount of attention and money is dedicated to something that is probably our least actual danger ... what's the fascination with West Nile? That it seems new?

Why don't we wear helmets in our cars? That could save way more lives than worrying about mosquitoes <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I was hospitalized just last month with dehydration due to West Nile Virus.

The virus carrying mosquitoes came to the U.S. around 1999. It is spreading quickly due to lots of States experiencing warmer winters (like Tennessee, where I live) which does not kill off dormant larvae/virus and/or dry up the creeks and puddles as it usually does.

West Nile virus is spreading West and Northeast a bit more rapidly than the CDC expected. Here is their site on it http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

Here, where I live, there have been 18 cases CONFIRMED so far in humans with hundreds of wild birds and hawks already succumbing to the virus. Of the human cases (in West Tennessee), two have died. One was a young child, the other an elderly person.

Per MY physician, most people that do get bitten by a West Nile-carrying mosquito, won't even know it or will only experience mild, flu-like symptoms three to ten days after being bitten. The bites look NO different and they are not more septic, etc.,

The more fatal complications tend to appear in the elderly, the very young and those individuals with reduced immunities due to illness. However, contracting the sometimes fatal encephalitis (sometimes known as "water on the brain") is very rare.

As with myself, a majority of those even hospitalized with West Nile are treated for the dehydration from nausea, diarrhea and possible vomiting. Watch for neck stiffness and headache though and see your physician even if you think you are being "silly". Better safe than in the hospital!

I was bitten by mosquitoes, dead birds (confirmed with the virus) have been found in our area and at my son's elementary school. Three days later I thought I had the FLU. By the time I went to the doctor I was badly dehydrated - don't make this same mistake.

This virus can also effect your horses, cats, dogs and pet birds. Also, most states and many counties have websites set up for the tracking and prevention of West Nile in your area.

Kitty

Oh no Kitty!! I hope you are feeling much better now!

Are the symptoms nausea and vomitting and diarhea? Just like a stomach virus?

My uncle was killed by lightning....another uncle was killed in a car accident, and I know people who have died from pneumonia, and AIDS.

I think these things are all a terrible part of life, that I tend to try to forget.

I do try to safeguard, though. even if I dont expect to get hit by lightning, I still dont walk out in a lightning storm, and I totally do NOT want my kids to get west nile, so I am trying to be more careful about the bug bite spray.

But, still, I am simply not going to worry myself to death over it. I hate to think about it!

My youngest child has poison ivy, and thats bad enough! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

According the what I just read on the link that Kitty gave us there are 638 confirmed human cases of West Nile and there have been 31 deaths. I think that's a lot of human cases. I do remember hearing about this virus last summer because it caused a lot of deaths among horses. (Kentucky has lots and lots of horses) There were a few human cases last year that I remember too.

This year though it seems that the situation is worse. While the CDC page says that there have only been 6 confirmed in KY the news has been reporting that there are another 28 possible cases in KY. There was a case of a woman who is confirmed to have had it and they aren't sure if she will ever fully recover. She shakes so badly now that she has to have people help care for her. She got working on a farm about 3 miles from my home.

Kitty I am so glad and thankful that you're ok. Oh my goodness that must have been awfully frightening. Please send me an email and let me know if there is anything I can do for you. I'm sure your neighbors are being wonderfully helpful but let me know if I can do anything. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Big hugs to you and I hope you are feeling like your old self again.

Lawanda I hope that poison ivy heals up quickly! Ooo I remember last year when my older kids got it. It about drove them nuts and of course they about drove the rest of us nuts. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I'm not overly worried to the point that I'm freaking out about it, but I am concerned. I'm like Lawanda, I would prefer to not watch the news. However, this is something that people in my area are taking pretty seriously.

If I were in Louisiana, Illinois or Mississippi I might be a whole lot more concerned. They have had a lot of cases!

Kitty take care of yourself!

Hi Lawanda (first),

No, I wouldn't worry to death. Just be aware, that's all. We don't go out much at dusk if at all as that's when the 'skeeters tend to eat the most! LOL.

We went to a Wal-Mart kind of store here and bought one of those little screen rooms (10 X 10) so if we DO want to spend some extended time outdoors in the evening we relax more. We have always used bug juice on the kiddos.

What IS kind of weird is that I have only EVER been bitten by a bug maybe once before in my life. And, I have lived in many, many places outside the U.S. and inside the U.S. So, it was kind of strange that the mosquitoes even bit me. THAT was the reason my husband started to suspect something was not right. Mosquitoes, gnats, sandfleas, bees, wasps, etc, seem to RUN from me!

And, my friend, Cheryl: I am making it back to normal. Still taking long midday naps and a bit weak - but I am coming back. I am sorry to hear about the woman with the shakes. That is not something I have heard of HERE in relation to West Nile, but they really do not know much about it at all....they have no idea if I will carry a natural immunity now or not. They have no real treatment either - antibiotics (which I personally think are overused much of the time) and basic support of your system.

The other caution in my neck of the woods are ticks with Rocky Mountain spotted fever/Lyme Disease. Once again, it has just become routine to do a "head check" when we come in from the woods.

Take care everyone!!

Kitty <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />