NARRATOR: You've heard about West Nile virus in the news, but you probably haven't heard about it from Bob Brookman of Illinois.

BOB BROOKMAN: My wife and I were sitting in our backyard and she was bitten by a mosquito, and she commented to me that she hoped it wasn't West Nile virus...and it was.

Thirteen days later she basically suffered paralysis, went on a feeding tube and a respirator, and was in that condition for 13 months before she succumbed to the West Nile virus.

I cringe when I see people outdoors without any kind of mosquito protection at all. Had I known the consequences of getting bitten by a mosquito, we would have taken far more precautions than we did .And I wish we had.

NARRATOR: Help avoid West Nile virus. Wear insect repellant whenever you go outside. This message brought to you by the Illinois Department of Public Health.