Livonia woman learns of West Nile Virus infection after donating blood

LIVONIA, MI (WXYZ) - Helena Hatten would often water the flowers in her garden in the evening and that's when she believes she was bit by a mosquito carrying West Nile Virus.

In early August, Hatten came down with symptoms that included headaches, fever and some stiffness in her neck.

Thankfully, Hatten recovered but she never even knew she had been infected until a few days after she and her husband donated blood at their church.

"I got a phone call from the American Red Cross and they said 'you've been diagnosed with West Nile virus", said Hatten.

"I was shocked", Hatten told 7 Action News. "It was the last thing I expected to hear".

Hatten now uses insect repellent regularly and no longer waters her flowers at dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

For more information on symptoms of West Nile virus infection, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the link below.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/symptoms.htm