Donnie Manry, TX

A 24-year veteran of the Bryan police department went home from the hospital Friday, after a five and a half month battle with the West Nile Virus.
NBC 6 News first introduced you to Sergeant Donnie Manry in August. Sergeant Manry contracted the virus from a mosquito bite.

He was initially paralyzed from the waist down. With short, determined steps, Manry walked out the doors of Saint Joseph Hospital in Bryan Friday afternoon.
His wife Stephanie said, "I don't know if we know of any other way to be. I mean you just have to make the best of it and that's what we were determined to do so, and that's what's gotten us where we are."

Last August Manry's neck and shoulders became stiff and his temperature shot up to 103 degrees.

At first doctors thought he had the flu, but eleven days after his first symptoms appeared, Manry was diagnosed with West Nile Virus.
Doctors said his future was uncertain, but Manry never gave up.
During the last five and a half months, Manry has undergone extensive physical therapy to relearn things that used to be second nature.

Lead Therapist Julie Cerna said, "He had to relearn how to do all of his activities of daily living, which included how to get in and out of bed, to walk and even being able to bathe and dress again."

Slowly but surely, Manry has gone from being paralyzed from the waist down to now walking with assistance as far as 600 feet.
"Just as recently as last week, there was some new progress and I had my ankle, I was able to move my ankle just a little bit.

I was on the phone with everybody because the progress is still coming,” Manry said.
Manry's children said they're glad he's finally coming home.
Daughter Chelsea said, "I am looking forward to just cuddling up on the couch, watching movies or eating dinner all together. [I’m looking forward to him just] being there like normal.”

The Manry family said while this has been a horrible experience for them, they have learned one big lesson from it; they will never take each other for granted.

WATCH VIDEO-Click Here NBC 6

Kadi Renowden, WI

Kadi Renowden, age 63, Madison, WI -September 2006

Kadi still works full time in an active hospital job, but manifested WNV over Labor Day, 2006 with the usual symptoms (headache, severe fatigue, muscle and neck pain, nausea). Her temperature was low grade, only about 100, but a white blood count at the urgent care was extremely low. Kadi, a nurse, told the MD at urgent care she thought she had WNV, as mosquitoes swarmed around her back porch, undeterred by DEETand she'd had many bites 8 days earlier. She was told she didn't have WNV. She has little recollection of the following 3 days, except for developing a rash, again being told she didn't have WNV when a call was placed to urgent care. Symptoms persisted for nearly 2 weeks, including another acute bout with nausea.

She returned to her internist to check her blood count before returning to work, suggesting she'd had WNV. "You don't have WNV," she was told. Kadi is also a post polio survivor with post polio symptoms. WNV attacks the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, in the same manner that WNV does, with many correlations. After multiple increased falls, including twice down stairs in 3 weeks, she knew her legs were significantly weaker . She requested another EMG of her legs (a diagnostic test for neuromuscular disorders). Believing she had had WNV, she asked the Dr. to order a test. She had also learned that a neighbor 2 blocks away had been hospitalized for the same time she'd been ill. She was found to be positive for WNV, the 21st confirmed case in WI in 2006. Her own Dr. still refutes that she knew when she had it.

Testing at the time she came down with it might not have tested positive. Therefore, anyone who believes they have the virus need to be tested around a week later, if negative initially.

Kadi's post polio symptoms have been aggravated by the WNV, not unexpectedly, with continued symptoms of sleepiness , fatigue and increased muscle pain. She feels her symptoms may have resolved better had she been tested and encouraged to recuperate more than the 3 days she lost from work; if doctors had listened and paid attention to the symptoms, instead of discounting them. This is possibly the first reported case of a post polio syndrome patient contracting WNV. Since the effect WNV non post polio symptoms is yet unknown, PPS patients need to be especially judicious to avoid exposure, given the specific mechanisms of both diseases, with a worsening of PPS symptoms.

Chris Cottrell WI

Appleton Post-Crescent: Your Fox Cities News Source - Oshkosh man recovers after bout with West Nile

Posted January 23, 2007Oshkosh man recovers after bout with West Nile
By Krista B. Ledbetter of The Northwestern
Wear bug spray.

That's all Chris Cottrell can offer as advice. Cottrell, of Oshkosh, spent the past four months on short-term disability, suffering headaches, fatigue, tremors and numbness. Cottrell contracted West Nile virus last summer, and while he couldn't do much to rid his body of the virus, he's now well aware of what can be done to prevent it.

He believes an infected mosquito bit him while in the woods near Tomahawk in August, he said, but it wasn't until a couple weeks later that debilitating symptoms landed him in the hospital for blood tests. And blood tests confirmed West Nile virus.

Chris Cottrell, photographed with his children Shauna, 11, and Al, 15, was out of work for four months after contracted West Nile in August. Cottrell said he still feels fatigue and numbness on his left side. Oshkosh Northwestern Photo by Shu-Ling Zhou

According for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness, spread to a human by a bite from an infected mosquito. In worst-case scenarios, people develop severe symptoms, such as paralysis, vision loss, or even death, but 80 percent of people who are infected never show symptoms at all.

"Your luck has got to be pretty lousy to get this," Cottrell said.

Only one case of West Nile virus was confirmed in Oshkosh last year, said city health director Paul Spiegel.

"Offhand, I don't think we've had any prior human cases here," Spiegel said. "But statewide, a couple years ago, we had a number of widespread cases. The virus spread right across the continental United States."

Spiegel said West Nile virus is likely here to stay. The virus appears to be widespread, and will flare up year after year.

As for Cottrell, he believes he's immune to the virus now, which is a blessing. While out of work for four months and on short-term disability, Cottrell had to seek help from the state to assist him with feeding his two teenage children, and he nearly lost his home. His first day back at work was Jan. 8.

For Christmas, Cottrell's employer, Multi-Conveyor LLC in Winneconne, gathered $1,300 in employee donations, and matched that in order to provide Cottrell and his family a large sum of money to get through the holidays, as well as gifts and food.

"Christmas would've been really slim without it. It was a big-time struggle," he said. "I work with some fantastic guys."

Cottrell found the inability to treat the virus the most frustrating, he said. While he sat at home, battling intense headaches and losing weight – 30 pounds in all – doctors were unable to help, except to treat his symptoms. At one point, he said, he was taking pain relievers, including the occasional Vicodin, every two hours to relieve the aches.

"I can't believe (the government) can't come up with a way to fix this virus," he said.

Although most of Cottrell's symptoms have subsided, he still has the occasional tremor, and a slight numbness on the left side of his face and in his left leg.

"I'm nervous about whether I'm going to fully recover," he said.

Spiegel said a small percentage of the infected population develop severe symptoms, but the health department still stresses that there is potential for severity.

"People should be using good, protective measures when out during mosquito season," Spiegel said. "It's going to be difficult to completely avoid the possibility of contracting it, but the best thing you can do is try to protect yourself from being bitten as best you can."

Krista B. Ledbetter: (920) 426-6656 or kledbetter@thenorthwestern.com

Megan Suzanne Most, Nevada

Nevada Appeal - News: "Douglas West Nile victim still fighting

January 21, 2007--by Susie Vasquez

Progress has been slow, but the fight continues for Megan Suzanne Most, the Douglas County resident who acquired a case of West Nile virus that led to meningitis and ultimately, a crippling paralysis.

Stricken by the disease in July, this single mother of three girls is now talking and breathing on her own. She has movement in one arm and leg, and can move her neck.

In late November, she was on a ventilator most of the time and could not move her head. Most is 34.

'We just keep pushing her,' said Tina Alaniz, one of Most's friends. 'That's all we can do and hope it gets better.'

After the onset of the infection, Most was treated at Carson-Tahoe Hospital, then transferred to South Meadows in Reno for long-term rehabilitative care.

Now that she is off the ventilator she is ready for the next step, a move to Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, Calif., where she will enter a program for patients with spinal chord injuries. The program will equip her with a wheelchair and teach her how to use it,"

"They (Sharp officials) say she's a very good candidate for this program," she said. "Now, it's a matter of when she will go and what she will do afterward."

----- In addition to the physical challenges, Most is facing financial problems with respect to insurance and health care costs. People can send their donations to Greater Nevada Credit Union, account 862957. Checks should be written to Tina Alaniz, for Megan Most. ------

The latest challenge is finding assisted care for her after the Sharp program, which lasts just six weeks, is completed, Alaniz said.

"We're having a big problem with that. Sharp won't take her unless they know what the family is going to do with her after she completes the program, but there are no spots in assisted care in California or Nevada. It's sad," Alaniz said. "We're sitting in limbo."

Right now, Most is scared and upset, and doesn't want to leave northern Nevada because her three daughters are here, Alaniz said.

The girls live with their father in the Reno area.

"It's going to be a long time, but she wants to come home," she said.

Spring is just around the corner and with that, the threat of West Nile as Douglas County's mosquitoes start to swarm.

Alaniz urged people to take precautions, to minimize their chances of acquiring this severe form of the disease.

"People need to be aware of what West Nile can do to someone," she said. "It can hit you hard. Not enough people knew about it last year and everyone I talk to can't believe Megan got this way from West Nile."

A record 123 human cases of West Nile virus were confirmed in Nevada in 2006.

Idaho had more confirmed cases than any other state with a total of 984 and Colorado came in second, with 322. Texas had 327 cases and California, 272, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.

Thomas Alan Shade, Victim-OH

Man, 31, succumbs to West Nile virus
William Smead says his son, Alan Shade, struggled with the disease since contracting it in 2002.

By Steve Bennish and Ryan Fox

Staff Writers

Thursday, January 18, 2007

WEST CARROLLTON — A man who contracted West Nile Virus in 2002 while at his job at a Middletown warehouse has died of complications from the disease spread by mosquitoes.

Thomas Alan Shade was only 31 when he died in his West Carrollton apartment on Monday after struggling with the disease for years, his father, William Smead of Centerville, said Wednesday night.

Smead said his son, formerly of Franklin, and two co-workers took a break from their jobs at a warehouse. While resting under a tree, they were bitten by mosquitoes and developed flu-like symptoms.

Shade's symptoms worsened and he never recovered, Smead said. He lapsed into a coma for four weeks and remained in the Bellbrook Rehab and Healthcare Center for four years, for a time needing the assistance of a ventilator. When he recently left the center to take up residence in an apartment, he needed the assistance of home care nurses because of partial paralysis, Smead said.

Smead said the Montgomery County Coroner's Office is to perform an autopsy.

Wednesday evening, Bill Wharton of the Montgomery County Combined Health District said he was unaware of any West Nile cases in the county and said the department is not currently monitoring any potential cases. He said the department urges people to protect themselves with repellent during summer months when mosquitoes are active.

The virus is spread by certain species of mosquitoes, which become infected when they bite infected birds, according to the medical Web site WebMD. People then become infected when the mosquitoes bite them.

The majority of infections either cause no symptoms, or they cause symptoms so mild that people don't realize they have been infected, according to WebMD. In rare cases, the virus can lead to inflammation of the brain or the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Fewer than 1 percent of victims will become severely ill, according to the Web site.

Shade also is survived by two daughters, three brothers, and two sisters. Visitation is 6 p.m. Friday, with the funeral at 8 at Gebhart-Schmidt-Parramore Funeral Home, on East Linden Avenue in Miamisburg.



Find this article at:
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/18/ddn011807westnile.html

Kenneth "Pete" Clay

West Nile left man down, but not out
More than 3 years after contracting virus, Clay continues to gain strength

By MARY PICKETT
Of The Gazette Staff
Life didn't turn out as Kenneth "Pete" Clay expected the past few years, but it's better than it could have been.

After contracting West Nile virus in August 2003, he nearly died.

Even after surviving the mosquito-borne illness, the former cowboy and ranch hand faced a long road.

Clay, now 73, developed the most severe form of the disease, which caused an inflammation of his brain and spinal cord and left his right leg paralyzed and his left leg severely weakened. During the 48 days that he was in St. Vincent Healthcare, he lost 30 pounds because he had difficulty eating most foods.
After Clay came home, the virus had sapped him of so much strength that he was too weak to turn over in bed. His wife, Marilyn, had to turn him over several times during the night to make certain he didn't get bed sores.

Eventually, Clay gained enough strength to start physical therapy in Billings, do regular exercises at home and get around in a wheelchair. He also regained most of the weight that he lost.

Now, he's able to walk with a full leg brace on his weaker right leg and a short brace on his left ankle.

He almost can walk with just one cane, but still needs the second one for balance.

Balance has been the hardest part of his recovery, he said.

His right leg is slowly getting stronger and has a wide range of motion.

"It's coming around," he said.

Most days, he exercises by working on a pedal exerciser and cardio glider.

Asked if he's still making progress, he said, "I believe I am."

"At my age, a lot of people are losing (physical strength)," he said. "If I'm holding my own, I'm doing well."

This summer, he pulled weeds in the large yard around his Hysham home, tended tomato and pepper plants and split kindling wood. He also helps Marilyn wash the dishes.

He has a special pedal on his automatic-drive pickup that allows him to drive short distances around town.

"I get out and do what I can do," he said.

Neighbors have been a big help by bringing heavier pieces of wood to his porch and hauling away some of his garbage.

Getting West Nile is aggravating, he said, but "your life doesn't end."

Early on, he decided to forgo dismal thoughts about his situation.

"I was lying in the hospital recovering and going over things in my mind," he said.

He could feel sorry for himself, he thought, then realized that he had to accept what had happened and go on with his life.

In addition to Marilyn, a major factor in his recovery was the help he received from physical therapist Rose Heeg.

"She's tops in my book," he said.

Attitude is 90 percent of recovery, she told him early on. A positive attitude helped Clay exceed even what Heeg had hoped for.

When Clay asked Heeg how far she had expected him to progress, she told him that they had wanted him to become strong enough to get around in a wheelchair.

"I didn't have long-term plans to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair," he said.

Contact Mary Pickett at mpickett@billingsgazette.com or 657-1262.

Editor's note: "What Ever Happened to ... ?" is a new feature updating Gazette readers on people, places or things that were in the news in recent months. If you have a topic you would like to see revisited, let us know at 657-1251 or citynews@billingsgazette.com.

Published on Thursday, December 28, 2006.
Last modified on 12/28/2006 at 12:31 am

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.

David Cole - Boise Idaho Survivor

"Miraculous" West Nile Survivor Talks Publicly For First Time To CBS 2 News

Story Created: Dec 25, 2006
By Art Swift

Watch this video


David Cole is enjoying lunch with his friends at Melba High...

And this simple meal in late December is actually a big deal. You see, the 16-year-old almost didn't survive to be here for this Christmas season.

"Everyone either gets really sick and dies or barely gets sick, so," David Cole told CBS 2 News in this first interview. "It's just weird to think that I was like in the middle for some reason."

David's fight for his life began five months ago when he was struck with the West Nile Virus. He's still 25 pounds lighter now. And he doesn't remember those crucial early moments when the disease attacked his body, causing him encephalitis and meningitis.

"I don't really remember from Friday night to a week or two later," David said. "I was, like, surprised. I was like, what? Why am I here?"

Well, he is here now. He pulled through after some painful therapy and learned to walk and talk all over again. This Melba football player returned to school in late September as Homecoming Junior Prince.

"Are your feelings about school or life in general different now?" CBS 2 asked.

"I'm probably a little bit like, it's not like, as long as I thought it was," David said. "I could just do whatever whenever I wanted. School it's harder now, so It's not as fun."

"Obviously Dave has something to accomplish while he's here and I just hope he'll do it," Beth Cole said.

David's mother says she never allowed herself to think her son was going to die. But, she certainly worried throughout his recovery.

"Many people had become paralyzed from it," Beth said. "And I thought, this is a sixteen-year-old boy who is very active and loves to do those things. As a Mom I worried about how he would adjust."

"The first couple of weeks David was really struggling and I know he said he couldn't run well but we forced him to run," Cory Dickard, David's football coach, told CBS 2 News. "And he's to the point where he's beating other kids now."

Dickard tacked David's football jersey up on his hospital wall and showed him football tapes to motivate him. He's working with David in the weight room to get his strength back.

"Couldn't even bench press the dumb bells, five pound dumb bells," Dickard said. "So we had to start working with David kind of on a separate basis."

Some say it's a miracle David is here. Others believe David simply had a fighting spirit that kept him alive. Maybe it was a bit of both.

"I went to church all the time," David said. "I was kind of religious but not a ton. But after this everyone in my church prayed for me all the time and stuff. That helped a lot and made me more religious I guess."

"Do you think God was with you?" CBS 2 asked.

"Yeah, for most of it."

.westnilesurvivor.com

www.westnilesurvivor.com

Megan Most-NV

Fundraiser set for West Nile virus victim

by Susie Vasquez
November 26, 2006

No one knows what the future holds for Megan Most, the 34-year-old Douglas County woman who has developed serious complications after contracting West Nile virus in July, but her friends are there to help cover expenses with a fundraiser spaghetti feed Dec. 3.

Most's insurance from her previous employer, Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center, expires at the end of December. Employees at Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center donated their paid time off to keep her on the payroll and insured until that time, Tina Alaniz said.

"Everything is running out now and unfortunately, a lot of facilities won't take Medicaid or Medi-Cal as primary insurance," Alaniz said.

Most will have to convert to COBRA insurance at that time and friends are having the spaghetti feed to cover those premium costs, which are expected to be more than $570 per month, Alaniz said.

This single mother of three developed encephalitis, meningitis and pneumonia complications as a result of the West Nile infection and has been partially paralyzed by the ordeal.

Most is being treated at Tahoe Pacific and the fight continues, according to friend Tina Alaniz.

"She's strong and she has a lot of spirit," Alaniz said. "She has a lot of people and friends behind her and that's what keeps her going. We keep pushing her."

She is on a ventilator most of the time and is improving very slowly, but her movement is limited. She can't lift her head. She can speak when she's not on the ventilator, usually 4-6 hours a day, but she's usually exhausted at that point, Alaniz said.

"Megan wanted to come to the event and there was some hope that she could, but there is just no way. She can't sit up to get in the car," Alaniz said. "Like I told her, I don't know what the future holds, but for some reason God wanted you to get through this."

Most's three young daughters are currently living with their father, Garrick Most, in north Reno.

The owners of the Backyard Bar & Grill have donated their restaurant from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, and the wide screen TV will be on so the guys don't have to miss their ball games.

The menu includes spaghetti, salad, bread, dessert for $10 per person. The food has been donated and Megan's friends will be doing the cooking, Alaniz said.

"Megan has lots of friends. We're all chipping in," she said.

In addition to the meal, those who attend will have a chance to bid during a silent auction on several prizes donated by local businesses. Among them, Wally's Hot Springs, Merry Maids, Oak Outlet, Full Circle Compost, Genoa Tree Farms and Grand Central Pizza and Pasta, Alaniz said.

"The response has been amazing," she said.

"Every little bit helps, from a dollar on up," Alaniz said. "We're going to keep going as long as we can to help her out."

Tickets can be purchased at Backroads and will be available at the door. For more information, call Alaniz at 232-1812.

Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.

What: Fundraiser for Megan Most, the Douglas County resident struck by West Nile virus last summer

When: 1-4 p.m. Dec. 3

Where: Backroads Bar & Grill, 2244 Meridian Blvd., just off Airport Road in Minden