To protect yourself from mosquito-borne viruses, experts recommend covering areas of exposed skin, using bug spray, and getting rid of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed.
Trucks around the U.S. are spraying large amounts of insecticides, and residents are being told to stay inside to combat the outbreak of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.
What started as a mosquito bite became a months-long medical nightmare for Idaho mother Brittany Yeager.
The 30-year-old got bitten by a mosquito after leading a girl's scout hike last summer.
"It started a day or two after we got back," Yeager says. "I got bell's palsy reactions, stroke-like symptoms."
Yeager had a severe case of West Nile virus that affected her central nervous system. A year later, she is still taking 30 pills a day to control her symptoms.
"My speech was gone, my processing, like I couldn't think straight," Yeager says.
John Brittingham, 67, from Santa Fe, New Mexico was placed on a ventilator.
"I was in ICU for three weeks," Brittingham tells Inside Edition.
Former chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci is also recovering from West Nile virus. The 83-year-old spent six days in the hospital after contracting the illness from a mosquito in his backyard.
There are around 2,500 reported cases of West Nile virus every year. Patients typically experience mild symptoms like fever, headache and vomiting, which resolve on their own.
However, the virus can have more drastic health implications for patients like Yeager.
Health officials in New York City have begun spraying pesticides throughout the city to curb the spread of disease.
Health officials are also monitoring Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, another virus spread by mosquitos, after a Massachusetts man in his 80s contracted it. According to experts, roughly 30% of EEE cases can be fatal.
Mosquito season has been extended in recent years, with experts contributing the cause to climate change. As a result, mosquito-borne illnesses have more time to spread.
To protect yourself, experts recommend covering areas of exposed skin, using bug spray, and getting rid of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed.
Yeager continues to progress in her recovery but wants others to take West Nile seriously.
