Health officials investigate whether N.J. man died of West Nile virus

When Fred J. Maikisch, a popular Lodi coach, was hospitalized in an intensive care unit a week ago, his sister said his body had been ravaged by West Nile virus.

"He is on a respirator because many of his vital organs have been affected by this virus," wrote his sister Terry on Facebook on September 7.

Saturday night, Fred Maikisch passed away. He was 62 years old.

Health authorities in Lodi, Bergen County and the state of New Jersey are now trying to determine the cause of his death.

"The New Jersey Department of Health is investigating a possible case of West Nile virus in Bergen County, but can not confirm or deny a West Nile virus-related death," said Nicole Kirgan on Tuesday. the word of the department.

Kirgan said the case adds to four other cases of West Nile virus that are already under investigation in Bergen County.

It could take up to a week for the state to confirm that Maikisch's death was due to West Nile virus, Kirgan said.

"To confirm a case, we must see evidence that there were signs / symptoms consistent with West Nile virus as well as confirmatory laboratory tests," Kirgan said in an email. "It takes a while to make sure that the appropriate signs / symptoms are consistent."

Officials from Bergen County did not return a call asking for a comment.

Lodi officials said Monday that they knew that at least one report had attributed the cause of death to a resident in West Nile.

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But the mayor and council warned that there were not enough facts to make that decision.

"We have been in contact with the Bergen County Health Department and the Bergen County Mosquito Control Commission since the social media release and are waiting for the facts to be verified regarding this very regrettable incident," said the officials.

Susan, Maikisch's wife, said Tuesday that she did not know the cause of her husband's death.

In addition to mentoring the small league for more than 20 years, Maikisch was a member of Lodi's Old Timers Association and a salesman at Ikea in Paramus.

Services for Maikisch, a father of two, are scheduled for Tuesday at the Santangelo Funeral Home in Lodi. A funeral was planned for Wednesday.

Anthony G. Attrino can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.