A mother has spoken about the terrifying moment she was left “incapacitated” after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the Ross River virus.
Tara Rogers woke up with a rash on her legs at her home in Buderim, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, in early February.
He noticed bite marks and thought they might have been caused by his cat’s fleas and thought no more about it.
However, when her rash did not go away that same day, Ms. Rogers sought medical attention.
His doctor prescribed an antihistamine, a medication used to treat allergies.
Sunshine Coast woman Tara Rogers had to learn to walk again after being infected with Ross River virus in early February. She no longer needs crutches but she limps.
The mother of one said she went from being very active to feeling “indescribable pain.” She is now forced to rest while she recovers.
Mrs. Rogers went to bed that night around 7 pm and slept a full 12 hours.
She said 7News When he woke up the next morning, he couldn’t walk.
‘I felt indescribable pain. It just felt like my ankle bone was grinding against bone, like there was nothing cushioning it,” she said.
Her hands also began to swell, prompting the mother to immediately seek help at the hospital.
Ms. Rogers was diagnosed with the mosquito-borne Ross River virus.
She said the result made sense since there are bushes around her house and the area had a lot of rain recently.
Symptoms of the virus transmitted by mosquito bites include fever, swollen and painful joints, and rash.
Unfortunately, there is no cure and the only course of action for patients is primarily symptom control.
Health authorities have said that while most patients recover within weeks, some people may experience prolonged periods of fatigue and joint pain.
Ms Rogers said after two weeks the worst symptoms had disappeared, but some persisted.
The mother believes longevity is the scariest part of the virus, something she wouldn’t wish on her “worst enemy.”
“I went from running up stairs, playing squash and being very physically active to being completely incapacitated during the night,” she said.
The mother said the pain was unbearable when doing things like standing up and she is now trying to rest.
Although Mrs. Rogers can now walk without crutches, she still has a limp.
In recent testing for the virus in Queensland, the virus was detected in 31 mosquito traps.
Ross River virus is transmitted when mosquitoes bite an infected animal or human. It cannot be transmitted from human to human.
The regions analyzed were Brisbane, Wide Bay, Bundaberg, Banana, Gold Coast, Fraser Coast, Livingstone, Mackay, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay.
Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said in a statement on Monday the numbers were high.
‘[It is] “More than the total we saw during the summer months of 2019-20, when there was a significant outbreak of Ross River virus,” he said.
‘In 2020, 3,381 cases of Ross River virus were recorded.
‘It is concerning that we are seeing such a high number of detections of Ross River virus in mosquito populations through our surveillance program so early in the typical season, especially over such a large area.
“This is an indicator of high viral activity.”