Bonham has now joined the ranks and news lines of Dallas County with newly reported cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) for 2012. The virus has been confirmed in at least two Fannin County residents and the Texas Department of Health told one of the victims that four cases have now been identified. Unlike the more heady and eye-catching Dallas County headlines, these Fannin County residents stayed out of the hospital; one did not even suspect she had the virus.
Generally unknown to the public, the West Nile virus usually runs its full course in the human body without the tragic outcomes that have been so widely and prominently reported by the news media. Infection with the WNV is not usually permanently debilitating or deadly, but the disease can be devastating, leaving victims crippled or permanently impaired in a small minority of the cases The vast majority of infections pass through unnoticed or with very minor symptoms, and leave no residual harm. In humans, it is estimated that no more than 1 in 5 will experience mild symptoms if infected with WNV, and no more than 1 in 150 people will experience a severe syndrome.
Take the first case reported in Fannin County this year as an example. As locally reported on KXII.com, the virus was present in blood donated by a Fannin County 35-year-old resident, Heather Thompson. According to their story, Ms. Thompson was not even aware that she had the disease until the West Nile virus was discovered during routine tests done on all donated blood. Due to past concerns that blood transfusions were a possible vector of infarction, it is standard for all blood to now be tested for that possibility.
The second Fannin County case was totally different. A Bonham woman, a young nurse, went to her family physician with flu-like symptoms including achiness "all over," slight temperature elevation, sore throat, dizziness and a prominent headache. She also reported fatigue, balance problems and sleepiness. She was given a flu test, which was negative, and then her blood was sent out for WNV testing. Testing for WNV actually takes nearly a week to complete if positive.
The second patient was initially told that she might have West Nile and that she should go to the hospital emergency room if she or her family noticed certain dangerous indicators of WNV. These symptoms include encephalopathy, repetitive vomiting, disorientation, muscle weakness, blurred vision, slurred speech, walking difficulties or inability to arouse from sleep. Besides increasing headache and sleepiness, this patient remained stable. With close attendance by her family and regular checks by her family doctor, she was able to remain safely at home with only minimal care and over-the-counter medications. It was not until the 6th day that the lab work was complete; she was confirmed to have West Nile Virus infection.
According to the U.S. Center of Disease Control, this year sets a new record for WNV cases reported in the U.S. through August 14. There have been 693 cases, including 26 deaths. The 693 cases reported is the highest number of WNV cases reported to CDC through the same time period since the virus was first detected in the U.S. in 1999. Almost half of all cases this year have been reported from Texas and more than 80 percent of those cases from only six states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and California). Of this year’s reports, nearly 60% (406 cases) were classified as neurological, such as meningitis or encephalitis.
The Fannin County nurse’s case of encephalitis was a classic example with the prominent headache, balance problems and vertigo. The victim also reported a strange perversion to taste (dysgeusia) that makes everything seem bitter.
When she was contacted by the Texas Health Department and mentioned the bitter dysgeusia, the case worker exclaimed, "Everybody is reporting that!"
One thing is for sure, bitter taste or not, our Bonham resident is glad she is about over all of this and headed back to work soon. So far this year, our Fannin County West Nile stories have had happy endings.