West Nile Virus Destroys Lives

West Nile Virus, "will destroy you," warns former Valley County Sheriff's Deputy William "Bill" J. Soper.

Soper nearly died when he was infected by a mosquito bite back in the summer months of 2013.

"I was circling the drain," Soper told The Courier over the phone last week from his home in Centralia, Wash. "I had resting Nystagmus in both eyes, which indicated a brain injury. My brain swelled three times [its normal size]."

Even though Soper pulled through, he lost his beloved job as a deputy and now has permanent hearing loss in his left ear, which hurts his chances of ever being a beat cop again.

"I would love to [serve], but I still have diminished hearing in my left ear," he said. "When I get in loud environments, I can't really discern language. It would be difficult."

West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall.

"Especially at times of dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are very prevalent, wear long sleeve clothing," Soper said." Cover as much of your skin as you can, and believe in DEET. That stuff works."

There are no vaccines to prevent, or medications to treat, WNV in people. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms.

About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. Soper found himself in this minority group.

As of May 25, a total of 664 cases of West Nile virus disease in people have been reported to CDC. Of these, 505 (76%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 159 (24%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. None of these cases have occurred in Montana, although once human case has been reported in Sarget County in southeast North Dakota.

Soper suspects he was infected after being bitten by a mosquito while out on duty responding to highway wrecks.

"One was in the Frazer area," he said. "Another was just east of Glasgow and the third was over right before you hit Hinsdale."

MYSTERY ILLNESS

It took weeks for Soper's doctors to diagnose him with WNV. His symptoms began with serious migraines, vertigo, nausea and hearing loss, he said.

Soper was also highly irritable, he said.

"I am surprised my wife and my kids got along with me as much as they did during that time frame. I had no idea what was going on with me. I couldn't hardly get out of bed. It got to the point where my 16-year-old son had to carry me out of the house to get me to the doctor."

Soper's Wife documented the event.

According to her, Soper began complaining of a feeling of "fullness" in his left ear on Aug. 30, 2013, and stated he felt as if his left ear needed to "pop."

By Sept. 1, his hearing began to diminish.

On Sept. 3, he was unable to walk without assistance. He complained of being dizzy and began vomiting. He was then taken to the Emergency Room at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, where he was evaluated. He was given a steroid injection and promethazine for the vomiting.

Doctors at the time suspected he was suffering from Meneire's Disease, a disorder of the inner ear causing severe dizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

The disease generally only affects one ear.

The symptoms were in line with what Soper was experiencing, but the diagnosis was wrong.

On Sept. 4, Soper received an audiogram and began a regimen of oral steroids. He was instructed to remain home for at least a week and not to drive due to the vertigo.

On Sept. 8, Soper began experiencing severe headache at the base of his skull. His hearing continued to diminish. The next day, he underwent an MRI to rule out an acoustic neuroma or any other abnormalities.

On Sept. 12, Soper began a second round of oral steroids. His headaches continued to grow in severity.

Despite this, Soper decided to return to work.

His wife said he was "out of sorts" that day, and had difficulty preparing for the job, misplaced items, and had to contact then Valley County Undersheriff Vernon Buerkle to unlock his cruiser because Soper could not find his keys. After Buerkle left, Soper discovered his car battery had died and attempted to jump start the cruiser with a private vehicle. In doing so, Soper reversed the cables, nearly catching the battery on fire.

He was flustered, and noticeably upset, his wife said.

Soper got a ride to VCSO to acquire a backup cruiser, and received a new battery. He returned home to replace it. At that time, his wife said Soper complained of feeling "on fire." He successfully replaced the battery, but the cruiser still would not start.

Not willing to give up, Soper reported to the VCSO office to get to work.

WORRIED HE WAS A LIABILITY

At work, Soper began worrying he was a hazard to his fellow deputies. He had been in an officer involved shooting in January 2009, and understood in his current state he might become a liability.

"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do my job, and wouldn't be able to continue on because of the significant loss of hearing and the confusion of what was going on with my body," Soper said. "I had no idea what the hell was happening."

The 2009 incident began when Roger Lynn Seller, a recluse who had lived in Glasgow since 2005, murdered 37-year-old Melissa Greenhagen, and wounded two others outside FMDH.

Greenhagen, of Glasgow, was a part-time emergency medical technician and clerk of state district court in Valley County.

Soper was able to shoot Seller through the hand near the hospital. Seller than fled the scene. Several law enforcement agencies joined together to hunt Seller down. He was shot dead by officers after being tracked.

Soper and several other local cops were later honored for their role in stopping Seller by President Barack Obama in Washington D.C.

In a state of heightened confusion and anxiety due to the as of yet undiagnosed WNV, Soper issued a letter of resignation to Sheriff Glen Meyer.

"I started to fear not being able to do my job because of the hearing loss, and worrying about being a hazard to the people I worked with. Vernon asked me to think about it. It was later on I tried to rescind my resignation after I found out it was West Nile."

If not in that state of mind, "I would not have submitted my resignation," Soper said. "I loved my job."

But by then, it was too late. VCSO refused to reinstate Soper, he said.

There is litigation over the matter currently unfolding, with Soper's family alleging he was not reinstated because VCSO did not want to pay for medical fees associated with his WNV infection.

FINDING THE CAUSE

On the evening of Sept. 15, Soper's symptoms became critical. He was taken to the ER by wheelchair and flown by air ambulance to Billings Clinics early the next morning. Doctors believed Soper was suffering from meningitis. A spinal tap was performed, and Soper was discharged on Sept. 19 after being diagnosed with viral meningitis. He was given oral antibiotics and Percocet for pain management.

On Sept. 15, lab results confirmed Soper had been infected with WNV.

On Sept. 24, Soper had a follow up exam with his doctor in Glasgow. At this time, he was suffering from a low fever and one side of his face was drooping. He also had noticeable tremors in both hands.

To compound issues, Soper developed disseminated Shingles. The rash spread from his feet to his head, causing severe agony.

It took eight months before Soper could work. His first gig was at the Holiday gas station. He did other odd jobs before moving with his family to Washington.

LONG RECOVERY

While Soper has now recovered mostly from WNV -- he still has permanent hearing loss -- his career in law enforcement appears to be over. And, it took Soper and his wife eight years to become financially stable once more, he said.

"You've got to dust yourself off and move on."

Soper, a Navy veteran who served aboard the USS Fletcher in the 1990s, decided to pursue a career in law enforcement after being honorably discharged.

"It took me five years to work into the department," he said. "I did three years of reserve deputy every weekend for three years. I sacrificed all my off time just so I could learn the job."

During the height of his WNV symptoms, Soper said he felt abandoned by VCSO.

"During the West Nile incident, most of my support system wasn't the brothers and sisters" in law enforcement, he said. "There were plenty of employees with the county that would talk to me, but nobody I served with at the Sheriffs office ever reached out."

Surprisingly, it was those Soper had arrested in the past who came to his aid, he said, chopping firewood in the winter months and helping in other ways.

Now 48, Soper would return to law enforcement if he could, he said. But, with his hearing loss, a patrol position is unlikely.