Ted Upgren, ND

West Nile Survivor: How I Almost Died from a Little Mosquito Bite

Ted Upgren's love of fishing may have cost him his life. Months after contracting West Nile virus from a mosquito, the author still suffers from the illness. Wildlife biologists muck around in the field so often and put up with biting insects like mosquitoes so routinely we may think we're immune to everything. I think differently today.

I was rapped hard by the West Nile virus, and while owning the distinction of being the first human West Nile case diagnosed in North Dakota in 2003, I had little else to crow about as this dreaded disease took me for a ride that almost ended my life.

I was a reasonably healthy 60-year-old in July 2003, but on the morning of the 17th I awoke in my camper at Lake Sakakawea State Park in another world. Weak, feverish and overcome by flu-like symptoms, I was in no shape to join my son Michael for the final day of pre-fishing for North Dakota's Governors Cup Walleye Tournament.

I stayed behind and Mike returned to check on me around 1 p.m. I was delirious, feverish and suffering a strange, fatiguing weakness in my right arm. My wife Kaye arrived around 3 p.m. to cart me home. Doctors diagnosed a flu condition. At home throughout the next day I continued to deteriorate.

Doctors Suspected Stroke

The next morning, Kaye had had enough when, sitting in my recliner chair, I was unable to lift or lower the recliner lever. At the emergency room, doctors ran blood tests -- the virus did not show in the blood. They did x-rays and a CAT scan, suspecting a stroke.

By evening, they decided to airlift me to Rochester. Kaye and two nurses accompanied my gurney, secured in a twin Cessna, to St. Mary's Hospital. From 1:30 a.m. until nearly noon, I was tested and quizzed by many doctors. A spinal tap finally confirmed the West Nile virus. I was informed that no treatment existed.
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By this time, my right arm was in total paralysis, my left arm was weak and I was experiencing shortness of breath. Taking morphine for pain and other medications for nausea, a vicious cycle ensued.

Alarmed at the progression of the virus, doctors suggested an experimental therapy using the drug alpha-interferon. Administered by an injection in the stomach area, they put me on a 14-injection cycle.

Interferon Stopped the Virus?

After about the seventh injection, tests showed that my blood pressure was dangerously low, my kidneys were shutting down and my liver had abnormal enzymes. My body was being defeated by the virus.

Of all the things I can't recall since that fateful July day, this was not one of them. I still see me joking with the nurses as they poked and stuck me, buzzers and alarms sounding throughout the emergency room, and Kaye sitting at the foot of my gurney with tears streaming down her face, foretelling the seriousness of my condition.

Presuming an allergic reaction to the interferon, the shots were stopped. It is our conviction that the interferon also stopped the spread of the virus.

Three more days in the hospital finally stabilized me. Several additional days of outpatient appointments and I was finally given the OK to head home on August 1.
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Road to Recovery

I remained nauseous, weak, fatigued and 40 pounds lighter. I suffered a paralysis of my right hand and fingers, arm and shoulder and general weakness in my left arm. I would finally see improvement after nine months of occupational therapy three times a week.

And still I'm not out of the woods. My right shoulder is paralytic and I suffer some balance and cognitive challenges. I'm where I am today only because of the loving sacrifices of my wife Kaye, the dogged work of medical professionals and an abundance of prayerful support from many people.

The message here is, don't tempt West Nile virus. You don't need to end up like me, disrupting job, family and income.

Change your outdoor behavior. Use repellents. View the ubiquitous mosquito in a new light. The new version can make you sick with yet the possibility, however remote, of making you dead. I've had the virus and may or may not be immune. But nowadays I always carry and use repellents. You should too.

Tips to Prevent West Nile Virus

Where there's a mosquito, there's a threat. Remember to use insect repellent when outdoors. Many of these repellents contain the chemical DEET, which should not be used in amounts greater than 10% on children. Repellents with DEET are not recommended on infants two months or younger.
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Despite the threat, the summer months are a time to enjoy the outdoors. Here are some at-home tips to prevent West Nile:

1. Drain pooled water daily. This can collect in flowerpots, birdbaths or areas in the yard and can provide breeding grounds for mosquito larvae.

2. Wear protective clothing. Long sleeves and pants prevent bites, and mosquitoes are not attracted to khaki and neutral-colored clothing.

3. Keep grass short. Taller grass provides a convenient place for mosquitoes to hide.

4. Repair window and door screens. Keep those pesky mosquitoes out of the house.

For more information and statistics on West Nile in your area, check out the website for the Center for Disease Control.