A WANGI Wangi woman has warned Lake Macquarie residents not to be complacent about mosquitoes this summer after she contracted what she believes to be Ross River virus in her backyard.
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Christine Langshaw has been laid low by some debilitating symptoms since February.
At times she was so weak she couldn’t stand.
Painful sensitivity in her fingers meant she was sometimes unable to “even touch tissue paper”.
“I’ve seen four doctors, and they’ve all said it’s a virus. There’s nothing we can do for you,” Ms Langshaw said.
While none of the blood tests have identified the presence of Ross River virus, Ms Langshaw feels sure she has the disease.
“I’ve read about the condition, and a lot of people that I know have recognised my symptoms as being the same as those experienced by other people who have been diagnosed,” she said.
“It’s quite frustrating, but the virus is not always determinative in the blood. I read that the virus often doesn’t show up [in blood tests] until after it disappears.”
Ms Langshaw thinks her trouble started earlier this year when a suspected broken water pipe allowed subterranean water to seep into her back yard.
She said a worker who inspected the problem noticed the proliferation of mosquitoes in the yard.
“That’s when I think I must have been bitten by mosquitos,” she said.
Anybody who assumes Ross River virus is a threat only in the tropics was mistaken, she said.
“It’s everywhere now. It’s even in Melbourne,” she said.
The NSW Health website said Ross River virus was widespread.
“People who are in contact with known mosquito habitats and who live in warm, humid climates near bodies of water will be most at risk of infection,” the website said.
“Ross River virus infections are the most common mosquito-borne infection in Australia, and infections occurs in many rural areas in NSW. Infections are uncommon in major cities and towns.”
Ms Langshaw urged locals to take precautions against mosquito bites, as she wouldn’t wish Ross River virus on anyone.
“The fatigue was just incredible,” she said.
“It would come and go at random. And I also had brain fog. I couldn’t think.
“I virtually sat on my lounge for three months wrapped in a blanket. And my fingers were so sensitive that I couldn’t touch tissue paper. The first thing doctors did was give me a test for arthritis.”
She’s on the mend now, and on her good days she estimates she’s back to about 70 per cent of full health.
