It’s not an enviable position. But based on the picture Dallas County Health & Human Services sent out with its West Nile Virus warning today, attorney Sean Lemoine has come a long way.
West Nile Virus almost killed Sean Lemoine, second from left.
Lemoine contracted West Nile Virus in August 2009 after mosquitoes bit him in the front yard of his home in the M Streets. The virus put him in a coma and attacked his nervous system. He suffered brain swelling, nerve damage, paralysis and respiratory failure.
When I met him last summer, he had just gotten off a ventilator, and he was still in a wheelchair.
No cases of West Nile Virus were reported in Dallas County last year. But the county health department advises residents to follow the “three D’s”: DEET, dress and drain. That is, used insect repellent with DEET when possible, wear protective clothing and don’t leave standing water — dump any outdoor containers that have standing water, where mosquitoes can breed.
