COBB COUNTY, Ga. — An East Cobb family is sharing a heartbreaking warning after an 83-year-old woman died from complications linked to West Nile virus.
Vivian Benson says her sister, Jennifer, battled the mosquito-borne illness for two weeks before she died.
“I’ll miss just talking to her in the evening before I go to bed,” Benson said.
The loss has been especially difficult because the sisters were so close.
“She was someone I was with every day,” Benson said.
Family members describe Jennifer as an active, healthy woman who loved helping people and rescuing animals. They said she only took medication for pulmonary hypertension.
“Very healthy. She walked every day,” Benson said.
But last month, Jennifer suddenly became ill after she collapsed.
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“Very lethargic. She could not lift her arms. We thought she had a stroke,” Benson said.
Initially, doctors treated Jennifer for a fall, but her condition continued to worsen. The family later learned she had contracted West Nile virus, which her sister believes came from a mosquito bite while she was walking in her neighborhood.
Now Benson hopes others will understand the risks associated with mosquito-borne illnesses, especially older adults and those with underlying health conditions.
She said she also contacted the Georgia Department of Public Health and local health officials following her sister’s death.
The family’s questions also include why large-scale mosquito spraying is no longer routinely used in many areas. Local health officials told Channel 2 Action News that mosquito control strategies have evolved over the years and often focus on surveillance, larvicide treatment and targeted responses rather than widespread spraying. Cobb county offers free mosquito traps to homeowners.
Jennifer’s family says they are now focused on sharing her story and encouraging people to take precautions against mosquito bites.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, as of Oct. 7, there are 17 West Nile cases and 1 West Nile death; the onset of the illness linked to that death was in August.