It started as a rash, but led to Tara Rogers becoming “completely incapacitated overnight”.
But that’s not even the “scary part” about Ross River virus, the Sunshine Coast woman said.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Aussie mum ‘completely incapacitated overnight’ from mosquito bite.
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“The scary part is the longevity of the symptoms,” she told 7NEWS.
Rogers woke up in her bed with a rash two weeks ago.
She thought it could have been caused by fleas from her cat, with the rash looking like “bites down my whole legs”.
Rogers started to doubt that theory when her rash didn’t go away later that day. She went to the doctor and was given an antihistamine — normally used to treat allergies.
The mum-of-one went to be early that night, about 7pm, and slept for 12 hours.
When she woke up, her health had declined dramatically.
“I woke up the next morning and could not walk,” Rogers said.
“I was in indescribable pain.
“It just felt like my ankle bone was grinding on the bone, like there was nothing there cushioning it.”
Her hands also began to swell up, but she did not have a fever.
She went to hospital, where she was diagnosed with mosquito-borne Ross River virus.
“It actually made sense, with where I live and the amount of rain we’ve had,” she said, referring to bushland surrounding her Buderim home.
Symptoms of the virus, spread by mosquito bites, include fever, swollen and painful joints and a rash.
There is no cure for the illness, with treatment mainly symptom management.
Health authorities warn while most patients recover in weeks, some people can experience fatigue and joint pain for extended periods.
Rogers said two weeks after she became infected, the worst of her symptoms dissipated, but some linger.
“I wouldn’t, honestly, wish this on my worst enemy,” she said.
“I had gone from running up the stairs, playing squash and being really physically active to just completely incapacitated overnight.
“Going from sitting to standing was absolutely excruciating. I couldn’t do any daily living tasks.
“I’m just trying to rest, which doesn’t come easily to me — watching TV and doing nothing.
“I can now walk without crutches and without my daughter pushing me around on the office chair.
“But the symptoms — I’m a little bit concerned about how long they have gone on for.
“I still have a considerable limp, and it’s incredibly painful to just do the basics”.
Testing across the Brisbane, Wide Bay, Bundaberg, Banana, Gold Coast, Fraser Coast, Livingstone, Mackay, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay regions has detected the virus in 31 mosquito traps.
“It’s very concerning that we’re seeing a large number of detections this early in the season,” Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said this week.
There have been 64 cases of Ross River virus reported in Queensland this year, and that number is expected to skyrocket.
“It’s likely to be thousands,” Gerrard said.
“We’re talking a large number of Queenslanders who will get it.”
To prevent Ross River virus infection, Gerrard advised wearing insect repellent, avoiding outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when many mosquito species are most active, and wearing clothing to covers arms, legs and feet.