St. George man hospitalized with rare, severe form of West Nile virus, wife says

ST. GEORGE — A Washington County woman is warning others about the dangers of West Nile virus after her husband developed a rare neuroinvasive form of the disease that she said nearly cost him his life.

Tammy Gill said she believes her husband, Kevin Gill, was bitten by a mosquito while the couple was spending a Friday evening outside barbecuing on their back patio.

A few days later, she said, he developed a fever of 102 degrees and experienced neck pain and facial redness. After an initial trip to the emergency room failed to provide answers, his condition worsened.

Tammy Gill said her husband later suffered a seizure while at home.

"He started choking on it, and water starts spewing outside of his mouth, and he started convulsing, and I started pumping his heart and he finally came to," Tammy Gill said. "He looks up at me, and he goes, 'What? What's going on?' He had no idea what had happened."

Following another trip to the hospital and additional testing, Tammy Gill said doctors diagnosed her husband with West Nile virus.

Tammy Gill said her husband also suffered a stroke the night he was admitted to the hospital.

"They said that it's the neuroinvasive, and it only happens to about 1% of the population," she said.

According to the Utah County Health Department, neuroinvasive disease is a rare but serious side of West Nile virus.

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First human case of West Nile virus confirmed in Utah County

One person was confirmed to have a serious form of West Nile virus in Utah County, the Utah County Health Department said on Monday.

"That means that the virus has begun to affect their central nervous system, and they start to have more severe symptoms," said Michael Leman, nursing director and nurse practitioner with the Utah County Health Department.

The department said Monday that a resident diagnosed with West Nile virus also had neuroinvasive disease. Leman said after further investigation, they determined she did not.

"This individual did initially report disorientation, some dizziness symptoms, and as we reviewed those symptoms with her, we found that they were fairly infrequent and not to the degree that we would be concerned about the neuroinvasive disease," Leman said.

Symptoms of neuroinvasive disease can also include muscle weakness, severe fever, neck pain, disorientation, twitching issues and seizures, Leman said.

While uncommon, neuroinvasive cases can be deadly.

"There's maybe 10% of those cases that will be fatal," Leman said.

Leman said individuals over 60 and people with certain underlying health conditions are at greater risk of developing severe illness.

Tammy Gill said her husband, who is in his 70s, is now unable to walk and has difficulty speaking. He remains in the hospital, where he's been for the last week.

"I just need the public to know this is very serious," she said. "You wouldn't think that 'Oh, hey, I'm just going to go in my backyard and throw some steaks on the grill. Let me put bug spray on, let me wear long sleeves and long pants.'"

The case comes during a summer in which Utah health officials have reported higher-than-normal mosquito activity testing positive for West Nile virus.

Officials stress that people should continue enjoying time outdoors but take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. They recommend using EPA-approved insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants, particularly during dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.

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