Man Paralyzed By West Nile Asks People To Support Mosquito Spraying
LAFAYETTE, Colo. (CBS4) - There is new concern about the West Nile virus after two communities have reported mosquito pools have tested positive for the virus.
Both Golden and Lafayette haven't confirmed any human cases, but both communities will be spraying for mosquitoes. Lafayette already has been spraying.
Because of the spraying, Lafayette has moved a planned Phat Daddy concert Wednesday night from Waneka Lake Park to Festival Plaza.
CBS4's Jeff Todd talked with one West Nile virus victim who says measures like spraying for mosquitoes are essential to saving lives.
"I noticed a bite on the inside of my arm and didn't really think anything of it," said Curt Wolff, who has been paralyzed by the virus.
It was just one year ago when Wolff started to get fatigued and went to a hospital.
"I woke up 10 days later completely paralyzed," he said. "Right now I can move my head, I have full control of that. (Limited movement) is all I can do with my hands, which is an improvement …it's acute flaccid paralysis resulting from West Nile."
Wolff spent four months in the hospital.
"All of the sudden people are realizing there's way more to this than just a few sniffles, and that's what people really need to realize, that it's easy to just protect themselves," Wolff said.
He says he supports local governments spraying known West Nile virus areas.
"It can be very serious and it is so easy prevent; I think that's the best thing to say," he said.
"The week of July 7 we had one positive pool, last week we had two positive pools," Debbie Wilmot with the City Of Lafayette said.
Lafayette is spraying those two areas Tuesday night and Wednesday despite the most recent test results coming back negative.
"We know that the West Nile virus is still floating around out there and we just want to be prudent in getting a hold of it the best we can," Wilmot said.
"Support your governments, let them know they're making a good choice," Wolff said. "I don't think it's something that's going to make everyone sick because the alternative is way worse."
Of the nearly 6,000 cases last year about half involved neuroinvasive diseases and it caused 270 deaths.
So far this year Colorado only has one West Nile case.
