Michael Zehar, Texas USA

West Nile victim's family warns of dangers
11:43 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2005
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA-TV

A Tarrant County family said they want to warn others about the West Nile Virus. Their loved one, a homeless man, was the county's first and only West Nile victim this year.


WFAA-TV Living on the streets, Michael Zehar's family has worried for years that the middle brother of six would be attacked. However, they never imagined a mosquito would cause this kind of suffering. It nearly killed the 42-year-old father.

It all started in June in East Lancaster where he said he remembered only about four or five mosquito bites.

After the bites, he started getting hot he said. He remembers the fever and headaches seven weeks ago. After that, he was sent to two hospitals and it has continued to escalate and lead to encephalitis, a coma and tracheotomy.

Now in a nursing home, his brother and sister-in-law aren't sure he will make it.

He was healthy before the bites and now he has meningitis and gowns and gloves are needed to visit him.

"It's getting to the point where you open the door and you're afraid to go out because you're afraid you'll get bitten by mosquitoes," said Billy Zehar, the victim's brother.

The victim's sister-in-law said she is now worried for her children

"When it comes to 9:00 at night, we make sure my kids are in," said Barbara Zehar, the victim's sister-in-law.

However, cases have decreased in Tarrant County and there are few who get as sick as Zehar.

"So, it's only about one in 100 people who get West Nile virus who end up in the hospital," said Dr. Elvin Adams, Tarrant County health director.

She also said 80 percent of the people exposed to West Nile, those bitten by West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes, never get it. And only 19 of the 20 who do get sick actually only experience mild symptoms, much like cold or flu-like symptoms.

Those who are most at risk are the elderly and very young. No one has ever died from West Nile Virus in Tarrant County.

But the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition said there are 5,300 homeless people living on the Tarrant County. Forty percent live unsheltered and are more susceptible to West Nile Virus.

The Tarrant County Public Health Department has asked for donations of insect repellent to provide to the homeless. They said they hope a large company might come forward with the donation.

E-mail kkelly@wfaa.com