Common Mosquito Bites Healthy Grandpa – 9 Days Later Doctors Declare Him Brain Dead

Before we start this article about how a mosquito sent a healthy grandpa to an early grave, here’s a fact. According to Mega Catch, there are more than 3,500 different kinds of mosquitoes in the world and about 175 species are found in the United States. Mosquito Squad stated that Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have the highest mosquito population and places like Antarctica, Iceland, New Caledonia, the Central Pacific Islands, and Seychelles are completely mosquito-free.

Coming back to our story, meet 64-years-old Gregg McChesney from Kalamazoo County, a healthy grandfather and passionate painter who enjoyed helping out his younger brother Mark at the farm they grew up in. Raised by artists, when the two brothers weren’t working at the farm they could be seen pursuing their talents – while Mark is a professional photographer, Gregg enjoyed painting and most of his art can be found hanging in his house. The two brothers thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and would often make travel plans to spend more quality time with each other.

Mark described his older brother as the most caring, happy and healthy human with virtually no negative traits. In July 2019 McChesney was at their farm situated in Williamston, Michigan helping his Mark with some alterations when suddenly he was bitten by a mosquito. Here’s another fact: only female mosquitoes bite humans and animals; male mosquitoes are happy feeding on plants and fruit nectars. Shortly after he was bitten by a female mosquito, McChesney’s health began deteriorating rapidly. The pace at which his health deteriorated left his family and doctors, who were treating him, utterly speechless.

Just nine days after being bit by a mosquito a healthy McChesney suffered an episode of seizure and was rushed to the emergency room where doctors declared him brain dead. According to the doctors, the mosquito that bit McChesney was carrying a fatal disease called Eastern equine encephalitis or EEE. Although humans are rarely affected by EEE, about four percent of people who contract EEE can experience permanent and extreme brain damage. In 2019 apart from McChesney, two more people from Michigan passed away after contracting EEE.

EEE causes lethal brain swelling that is responsible for killing 30 percent of people who indirectly contract it. While McChesney’s family is still dealing with the loss, they urge people around the world to take all necessary precautions against the deadly bites of female mosquitoes. They urge people to avoid marshy areas where mosquitoes breed and to wear protective gear and repellent when stepping out so as to avoid contracting the deadly disease.

Here’s a shocking fact: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2017 there were five cases of people who contracted EEE, in 2018 the number rose to six. The year 2019 saw 38 cases of people who contracted EEE of which 15 people, including McChesney, sadly passed away.