Health authorities in North Carolina have reported the first 2015 death from West Nile virus. However, to abide by the confidentiality laws, the state’s Department of Health & Human Services has not released the name, gender, age or even location of the individual who died.
People came to know about the person’s identity from Charles Hogan, who identified himself as the son of Roscoe Hogan, the patient who died of West Nile virus. Roscoe Hogan, who was a resident of Durham, was 76 when he died.
Charles Hogan informed that his father breathed his last on August 27, at the Duke Regional Hospital. He got to know that lab reports have revealed that his father has been infected by West Nile virus just a day before Sr. Hogan died. The family was informed about the diagnosis after doctors performed a spinal tap on Sr. Hogan.
Charles Hogan was told that there’s no cure for the virus. He was also told that there’s even no vaccine for the virus. Doctors explained to him that like the common cold, West Nile virus too can only be combated by our own immune system.
West Nile virus gets transmitted to humans via mosquitoes. The majority of the people who get infected by the virus either never show any sign of the disease, or just develop extremely mild symptoms resembling those of flu.
However, the virus is also known for resulting in severe conditions such as meningitis, encephalitis and meningoencephalitis; these are conditions that, according to statistics, are fatal in around 1% of cases
According to Hogan, his father got infected by the virus when working in the yard and has admitted that he never thought that this can be an issue for people residing in the state of North Carolina. Hogan said that members of his family were never observant about repellant as they never thought that mosquitoes can become such a big issue for them.
Hogan informed that his father got admitted to the hospital with multiple symptoms including vomiting, fever and dehydration. He added that Roscoe Hogan’s hospital stay was just for a period of a little over two weeks, out of which the patient had to spend the final four days at the critical care unit.
