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THE WOODLANDS, Texas – A West Nile virus survivor who has lost sight, motor skills and the ability to breathe, hopes his story will move others to better protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Mike Sechelski could not move a muscle. He could not see or breathe for weeks. In the end, when he was gasping for breath, the 68-year-old man heard a revealing diagnosis.
"I was surprised that a mosquito could do so much damage," he said. "There is no awareness."
He caught the West Nile virus from a mosquito in his yard at The Woodlands. It was like a food poisoning, said Sechelski. His doctor also diagnosed him.
Sechelski felt so sick that he went to the emergency room. There, the father of two children, in good health, married, learned that he had West Nile.
"I have been researching West Nile Virus in Houston for 16 years," said Dr. Kristy Murray, a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. "It's one of the worst seasons we've seen in a long time."
On Thursday, health officials announced the first confirmed West Nile virus-related death of the year in Harris County. It's the second in Texas.
Eighty percent of West Nile cases occur between August and September, said Dr. Murray.
"Many people think that I am not at high risk of serious illness, but young people can really get really sick and that can change the course of their lives," she said.
Sechelski came home feeling lucky. He needs a walker to get around. His hands are too fragile to use a cell phone, and doctors do not know when or if a full recovery is possible because the virus remains in Sechelski's body.
Yet he is alive, hoping that his story helps others.
"Try to protect yourself as much as you can when you go out," he said.
© 2018 KHOU
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