DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A mosquito bite is something most people try to ignore, but for one DeKalb County man, one bite turned into a life-threatening battle.
William Cross says he never imagined he would end up hospitalized after being infected with the West Nile virus.
“I remember waking up one morning and there were 20 doctors in the room, and they said I had the West Nile virus,” Cross told Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter.
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Cross says his symptoms started with worsening headaches in the fall of 2012.
“I started getting headaches and they got worse and worse,” he said.
He eventually collapsed at home and was hospitalized for 10 days at Emory University Hospital.
“I was on a morphine drip for about seven to eight days,” Cross said. “I had cephalitis, which was the swelling of the brain.”
Cross says he does not remember much of his hospital stay, but doctors warned his family they were unsure whether he would recover.
About a month later, Cross says he was back to normal.
Now, years later, he says the experience changed how seriously he takes mosquito prevention.
“I still spray, I spray right before I came out here,” Cross said.
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His warning comes as DeKalb County tracks West Nile virus activity this season.
Health officials say mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus in two DeKalb County ZIP codes (30088, 30360), including areas near Redan and Doraville.
While mosquitoes have tested positive, both the DeKalb County and Fulton County health departments say they have not reported any human cases of West Nile virus so far this year.
Local pest control companies say they are seeing more people looking for ways to protect their homes and yards.
Matt Breda, with Breda Pest Management, says July has been a busy month for new mosquito-control customers.
“July has really been a big month for mosquito new clients,” Breda said.
Experts say the best way to reduce the risk of the West Nile virus is to avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing when possible, and removing standing water where mosquitoes breed.
For Cross, prevention is personal after surviving a severe case of the virus.
“I don’t take any chances,” he said.
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