West Nile's cruel summer: Insidious virus strikes Ottawa-area man

At least five days a week during the summer,Robert Gibeaultwould head outfishing near his home in Crysler, Ont., about 50 kilometres southeast of Ottawa.

At his favourite spots along the Ottawa, Nation, and St. Lawrence rivers, he'd reel inpickerel, bass and perch.

The fishing trips ended in August whenGibeaultcontractedWest Nile virus.

I wasn't aware of the seriousness of the disease.- Michelle Gibeault

On Aug. 22 he was admitted to the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital where his condition worsened. OnThursday hewas moved to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator to help himbreath.

His wife Michelle Gibeaulthas been by his bedside every day.

"I wasn't aware of the seriousness of the disease," she said.

Best case, worst case

Nowher husband's deteriorating health is constantly on her mind, Michellesays.

"You can imagine the thoughts that go through my head. You think of the best case scenario, and you think of the worst case scenario, and you hope it's somewhere in between."

Robert has Type 2 diabetes, but was otherwise strong and healthy, his wife said. Now the virus has affected his spirit as well as his body. He's told her he doesn't know if he'll walk again.

"He's worried," Michellesaid.

3 confirmed cases in Ottawa

In July Ottawa Public Healthreported mosquitoes in Ottawa had tested positive for West Nile, and warned the virus had arrived earlythis year, creating therisk of what the agency called "higher than usual West Nile activity."

So far this year there have been three confirmed cases of West Nile virus in humans in Ottawa.In 2016 Ottawa Public Health reported twoconfirmed or probable cases, and there were no cases reported in 2015.

Robert Gibeault is not included in the 2017 figuresbecause he lives outside Ottawa.

First told he hadflu

The 61-year-old retiree woke up on Sunday, Aug.20 feeling disoriented and told his wifehis legs felt "wobbly." The couple had attended an outdoor concert the previous evening where he remembered receiving more than two dozenmosquito bites, but Michellesaidher husband had already been feelingfatigued and "out of sorts" for days.

The next morning, after taking a shower, Robert began shaking so badly his wife suspectedhe was having a stroke.He reluctantly agreed to go to hospital in Winchester where he was told he had a bad case of flu. He was sent home and told to come back if his condition worsened.

After the couple pulled into their drivewayRobertcollapsed getting out of the car, telling his wifehe couldn't feel his legs. Michelle called for an ambulance and Robertwas taken back to Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

By midnight Robert had a high fever and aches all over his body, and he was transferred by ambulance to hospital in Ottawa. Staff with the Ottawa Hospital's neurology unitsuspected West Nile virus, and four days later tests confirmed the diagnosis.

Confused, agitated

Michelle saidher husband has become confused and agitated, which prompted him at one point to rip out hisintravenous line.

"He's a little bit lost and not coherent, and his speech is slurred," she said earlier this week. "Yesterday he didn't know I was his wife."

Dr. Kathryn Suh, an infectiousdisease specialist at the Ottawa Hospital, saidonly a small portion of those who contract West Nile developsymptoms so severe that theyend up in hospital.

The most serious form of the infection is West Nile encephalitis, where the virus attacks the brain.Suh said10 per cent of those cases are either fatal or leavethe patient withsome long-term disability.

Robert tested positive for encephalitis.

No vaccine

There is no vaccine or specific antiviral remedy for West Nile, Suh said.

"There is no specific therapy."

Instead, patients are given pain medication andintravenous fluids until the virus runs its course, Suh said.Once a patient becomes stable, their recovery fromparalysis orcognitive impairment can begin.

"It's just a question of time whether that resolves fully," Suh said.

Michelle knows her husband has a long roadahead of him. She's been told by hospital staff Robert's rehabilitation could take sixmonths or more.

'I'm an optimist'

Michelle is thankful for the support of their children hers from herfirst marriage and her husband's from his and from friends and neighbours who have called to offer help.

"I'm an optimist by nature and that's what keeps me going, and I'll be by his side no matter what," she said.

She's alsobecomingsomething of an expert on West Nile virus, researching the illness and learning what can be doneto control the mosquito population.

She's warning othersto wear insect repellentsomething she says her husband never did and urging municipalities to spray for mosquitoes.

"I want to encourage the local government to spray for mosquitoes more aggressively now that it's in this area,"Gibeaultsaid.