Wayne Hinrichs, NE

Early West Nile Cases Cause Worry

Friday 6.22.07, 10:50 p.m.

The North Platte man infected with the West Nile virus says he's feeling much better now. Once you get West Nile, you'll always have the antibody in your system, but only in the most severe cases do symptoms reappear.

One man from Hildreth got the disease two years ago, and while he feels fine now, he remembers all too well how painful it was to have the virus.

Wayne, "I had such a terrible stomach ache. I thought surely farming finally got to me and I got an ulcer out of this deal, but then I started getting terrible headaches."

The symptoms only got worse, until they were more than enough to send Wayne Hinrichs seeking help.

"Then I went to the doctor in town." Wayne said. "Hildreth has a clinic, and they took a blood sample because I started feeling a tingling sensation in my legs and that scared me."

Wayne had a mild to severe case of the West Nile virus almost worse than the case recently found in North Platte. Officials there are taking preventative measures, by putting tablets in areas of still water.

West Nile Surveillance Coordinator Nora Camberos said, "If a mosquito comes in and tries to breed in that spot, it will not let the full cycle be completed so they can't actually emerge and hatch."

Although cases of West Nile are emerging earlier this year, it could go either way when it comes to how many people are infected.

"If we continue to have a cooler summer, it may not be as bad a problem in most areas, but if it ends up being hot
and dry, it will be the perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed," said Camberos.

After experiencing the symptoms so close to home, the Hinrichs are certain the warnings aren't something to brush off.

"I consider myself lucky," said Wayne. "I got a friend in Minden who was paralyzed for a while. He couldn't even walk."

His wife Peggy Hinrichs added, "I just always wear bug spray now. If a mosquito bites me, I go in and get the bug spray, or else I go in and stay in, so it's changed a lot of what we do."

Reporter's Notes by Crystal Calloway:

It seems early to have two cases in Nebraska already, but as of June 12 South Dakota and Iowa each had one case. Mississippi had four.

Story Created: Jun 22, 2007 at 10:47 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 23, 2007 at 3:40 PM CDT

Jerry Barton, Survivor WI

West Nile virus survivor thankfulJerry Barton recalls struggle with disease five years later
By MELISSA RIGNEY BAXTER - GM Today Staff
June 24, 2007


Jerry Barton stands next to a Marines bumper sticker on the back of his truck and holds a can of bug spray while at his home in the town of Waukesha. After participating in a Marines bug repellent program while he was in the service, Barton was infected with the West Nile virus a few years ago.
WAUKESHA - Sixty years ago, Jerry Barton helped the U.S. Marines on a special mission to test mosquito repellent while on duty at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C.
"Every night I racked up the most bites in our group," Barton, now 78, said of the three-night experience as a young Marine.
Nearly five years ago, Barton says the mosquitoes got their revenge.
Another mosquito bite gave Barton, who lives in the town of Waukesha, major trouble. He contracted the West Nile virus, one of just a few cases in Waukesha County in 2002.
"It was a nightmare," said Barton’s daughter, Lori Barton. "We’re just lucky he pulled through."
Barton knew the mosquitoes were bad that summer, and he was careful about wearing repellent - most of the time. However, he didn’t always use it for his quick trips to the newspaper box. He figures that’s when he got bitten.
The morning of Oct. 1, 2002, he collapsed on the floor of his Genesee Road home and couldn’t get up. He was there three hours before his son found him and called for help.
"I could see the hard-wired telephone, but I couldn’t get to it," he said.
For full story, go to the electronic version of The Freeman. Click here to access the electronic version.