Delaware County firefighter shares message after being bedridden with West Nile virus
A Parkside volunteer firefighter is warning others to take mosquito bites seriously after contracting West Nile virus and spending a week in the hospital.
Sarah Haynes, who also serves as a borough councilwoman, said she was bitten by an infected mosquito while landscaping in her garden on August 14. She developed a fever and severe headaches that quickly escalated into brain swelling, leaving her bedridden for days.
"I never thought in my life that the West Nile virus would be this serious," Haynes said. "I thought it was a virus in Africa, not America."
Haynes said she couldn't respond to fire calls for three weeks, but is grateful to be in recovery.
"I got lucky because I'm strong," she said. "I couldn't imagine if my daughter or my husband got it because my husband is older than me. I don't know that they would have even been able to get up out of bed by now or even survive by now."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 770 West Nile virus cases have been reported nationwide so far this season. About 490 of them involved serious complications, such as encephalitis and meningitis.
Delaware County health officials said that while human cases remain rare, the risks are real, especially for people over 60 or those with weakened immune systems.
"Some populations are more vulnerable to severe illness from West Nile virus," Lora Werner, director of the Delaware County Health Department, said. "That includes people who are older, people who have compromised immune systems or certain other specific diagnoses."
Even as temperatures cool down, mosquitoes are still active and the virus season isn't over yet.
"Even though it's getting cooler and there's less mosquitoes, they are still around," Zachary Babel, environmental health supervisor from the Delaware County Health Department, said. "So the three Ds are always relevant: drain, dress and defend."
Babel recommends:
- Draining standing water where mosquitoes breed (like flower pots, buckets, and birdbaths).
- Dressing in long sleeves and pants outdoors.
- Defending yourself with EPA-approved insect repellent.
Haynes said she was medically cleared to return to work on September 2. She's back at the Parkside Fire Company, but said she's taking extra precautions moving forward.
"Take West Nile virus seriously," she said. "It could really affect your whole life."
Haynes now has a 10-week-old puppy, a teacup Yorkie named Pickles, to help with her recovery, which she brings to work. Chief Dave Lamey from the Parkside Fire Company said he is glad to see Haynes back on the job.
"She gets out of bed at 3 o'clock in the morning to take a medical call," Lamey said. "When she went down, it kind of put a hurt on us. We had some people who stepped up and helped out that don't normally get up in the middle of the night and they did. They were happy to see Sarah back in action."