We are often not even aware of how much our lives can change from the roots overnight. Young Aleksandra Mikić (25) from Nova Pazova, a lively student who ended up in a coma after a mosquito bite, was not thinking about that either. The insect was infected with the West Nile virus, which is why Aleksandra suffered a bunch of health problems.
A healthy person has a thousand wishes, and a sick person only one – to get well. Until recently, Aleksandra did not have this wish because she was not communicative, but that is why her family prays and hopes every day that their girl will recover.
Aleksandra’s aunt Nikolina, who is a great support to her in these difficult moments, told Nova.rs how her niece’s agony began.
“Like her peers, Aleksandra lived life to the fullest. Studied, socialized… She is a brilliant final-year economics student, always smiling and ready to help everyone. Unfortunately, in September last year, her life completely changed,” she tells us.
According to her, Aleksandra was bitten by a mosquito infected with the West Nile virus, which caused her to end up in a coma.
“After she was bitten by an infected mosquito, she was urgently admitted to the intensive care unit of the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases. After the analyses were done, inflammation of the brain was determined with serological positivity in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The presence of the West Nile virus was confirmed,” she further explains.
Return of basic functions
Her parents, to whom Aleksandra is an only child, were desperate.
Nikolina says that Aleksandra’s fight for the return of basic functions soon followed.
“Aleksandra requires additional treatment to regain basic functions. Her clinical picture indicated involvement of the brainstem with impairment of consciousness to the level of a coma, with extinguished brainstem reflexes, the development of respiratory failure which made her dependent on a respirator, and she also had acute renal failure.”
Doctors and neurologists made great efforts to help Aleksandra, and treated her using antiepileptic therapy.
“During her hospitalization, she had septic conditions multiple times caused by gram-negative bacteria. Due to prolonged dependence on a respirator, a tracheostomy was performed.”
Awake, but paralyzed
After some time, doctors managed to bring Aleksandra to an awake state.
She is now conscious, says Nikolina, but still does not communicate verbally and cannot move her body.
“She breathes spontaneously through a cannula and has a nasogastric tube placed. In addition, she has paralysis of her entire body, so she cannot even move.”
The only chance for Aleksandra is treatment in Turkey. However, the family needs help considering that the treatment requires significant financial resources.
“Her condition requires neurological intensive care with rehabilitation, and a clinic in Turkey has agreed to accept Aleksandra. The costs of air ambulance transport and treatment in Istanbul are enormous. We hope that good people will help my niece to continue her treatment,” she says.
Nikolina and Aleksandra’s parents appeal to all humane people to help in raising funds for the treatment of this young girl.
“It is necessary for Aleksandra to continue her treatment at the clinic abroad as soon as possible, and in order to raise the necessary funds, all people of good will are invited to help with their donations. Funds are needed for specialist examinations, rehabilitations, as well as travel expenses and accommodation costs during treatment,” she says.
From mild to extremely dangerous
Speaking about the danger of the virus to our health, epidemiologist Dr. Zoran Radovanović says that such cases, unfortunately, happen.
He recalls the case of actress Mira Furlan, who died at the age of 65 from complications caused by the West Nile virus.
“The virus can be very dangerous, which unfortunately we see in the example of Mira Furlan. Often a patient passes mildly, with weaker symptoms, while in a certain number it leads to serious damage to the brain and its functions, coma, and even death,” explained the epidemiologist.
The doctor also states that one in 150 patients unfortunately has severe symptoms, that is, gets brain inflammation, which is why he appeals to citizens to mandatory contact a doctor if they feel even the mildest symptoms such as fever, malaise, or a rash in the chest area.
“Mosquito spraying is also very important. Also, places with a lot of mosquitoes should be avoided, especially in the territory of Belgrade, as much as possible. We as citizens should also be concerned and insist on timely spraying. Spraying against mosquitoes should start as early as mid-March, so as to avoid invasions of mosquitoes carrying the virus,” the interviewee of Nova concludes.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Pexels, Budi human