At the support group meeting, Pete was able to connect with others who were experiencing similar symptoms.

“It helps when you’re in a position with a disease and have a whole lot of questions, to hear from people that have gone through it and survived it,” Pete said. “It helped me a lot just to hear other people’s stories and share my own.”

But when the virus was affecting Pete the most, Betty Jean often found herself telling his story for him because of his memory loss and interrupted thought process.

“I didn’t like that at all,” Betty Jean said.

Through hearing other patients’ stories and some rehabilitation successes, Pete found himself improving little by little.

“Dr. Leis told me to sit down with a sketch pad and just draw whatever I saw,” Pete said. “Three years later, I had a better signature than I ever did.”

Pete’s improving conditions even prompted Betty Jean to give him a little present.

“He had worked all his life and always had a business card,” Betty Jean said. “We were going to all these support groups and giving out our numbers, so I just made him a card that said, ‘Pete Smith: West Nile survivor.’”

As reported cases of West Nile virus continue to increase in Mississippi and Louisiana, Pete said the support group meetings are as important as when they began nearly 10 years ago.

“Especially for people who have just been diagnosed with the virus, it’s good for them to come in and hear from people who have gone through exactly what they are going through,” Pete said. “It’s good to get out some of those things you’re dealing with.”

As of Thursday, the total reported cases of West Nile in Mississippi this year is 85, including two deaths in Smith County and Lincoln County.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has reported 145 cases and nine deaths in that state.

Three cases of the West Nile virus have been reported in Concordia Parish — two were neuro-invasive, and the other was asymptomatic.

One case has been confirmed in Adams County.

Leis, a clinical professor of neurology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said this year is shaping up to be the worst for reported cases and deaths of the West Nile virus in both Mississippi and the nation.

“In the past few years, we’ve seen relatively mild years with respect to West Nile virus cases, so the funding kind of dried up and doctors essentially forgot about this,” Leis said. “Because of that complacency, we find ourselves on track to have one of the worst years ever.”

Leis, who is also a physician at the Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, has recently taken over the West Nile support groups and will continue to host the meetings — rotating them through various hospitals in the state.

“As a clinic investigator, my colleagues and I learn more about West Nile virus from these support groups than through our research,” Leis said. “Through the patients talking about their symptoms and telling us their stories, we’re able to uncover more and more about the virus.”

Leis said Miss-Lou residents need to take responsibility into their own hands and take preventive measures to fight the West Nile virus.

“Don’t go outdoors during the dusk hours when mosquitoes are more likely to be out,” Leis said. “And if you do, wear a bug spray that contains DEET and long-sleeve shirts and pants.”

Homeowners should also be constantly checking for any standing water, Leis said, in bird baths, flower pots or anything that holds water.

“These mosquitoes take only three days to hatch in water, and it’s the ones in your backyard you need to worry about,” Leis said. “The mosquitoes you raise will probably be the ones to bite you.”

The next support group hearing will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, at the LiveWell Center in Hattiesburg.