JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The daughter of a woman who died of West Nile virus is turning her grief into a mission to inform others of the dangers mosquitoes can present.
On Friday, health officials confirmed that 46-year-old Latricia Spencer died with the virus, and an autopsy has confirmed that was her cause of death. She was diabetic and doctors thought when she came down a with symptoms of the virus that she'd had a stroke.
"They treated my mama for that because that's what they thought she had," Spencer's daughter, Letisha said. "My mama didn't have that."
With her mother gone, 26-year-old Letisha must take over care of her two younger sisters and brother.
"We still have to wake up every day knowing our mama's not here," she told Channel 4's Melanie Lawson Tuesday.
Spenser said her mom was outside their northwest Jacksonville apartment for a barbecue just two weeks before she died. City officials told Channel 4 taht the area is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Richard Smith with Duval County Mosquito Control said they sprayed the area earlier this summer and again Tuesday. They also sent out flyers warning others about the danger from mosquitoes.
But Spencer said every time the family goes outside, they worry. She's speaking out to make sure others take precautions.
"I'm just trying to tell them while you at Family Dollar, make sure you get some spray ... make sure it has DEET in it," Spencer said.
Health officials say that until the area gets a hard freeze, mosquito season is not over.
West Nile is most commonly spread through mosquito bites. The virus can cause a fatal swelling of the brain. Symptoms include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion.
Most infected people don't get seriously sick from the disease, but it can be dangerous particularly for children, elderly people and those with pre-existing conditions.
Copyright 2005 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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