“Real Housewives of Orange County” star Vicki Gunvalson, 62, is sharing her recent health scare after she was hospitalized with sepsis, a potentially deadly disease that results from the body’s response to an infection.

“This entire health scare came unannounced — with no warning,” Gunvalson told Fox News Digital.

As Sepsis Awareness Month kicks off this September, Gunvalson’s timely story is helping to raise awareness of the illness.

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“Sepsis awareness can and does save lives, yet only 65% of American adults have ever heard of it,” Selena A. Gilles, clinical professor and associate dean at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, told Fox News Digital.  

Gilles is on the advisory board of the Sepsis Alliance, a California-based organization that works across the country to decrease suffering from sepsis. 

“Prompt recognition and treatment can be of great importance in preventing significant illness and even mortality,” Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital. 

Gunvalson’s diagnosis

Gunvalson shared the details of her sepsis diagnosis with Fox News Digital.

“Two weeks ago, when I was heading to my office, I was very delirious and unclear on where I was going,” Gunvalson said via email.

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“Once I got into the office, my staff realized I was not acting normal,” she went on. “My assistant thought that I was possibly having a stroke.”

The emergency room diagnosed Gunvalson with a “sinus disease” and sent her home, but by the next morning, she was “extremely incoherent” — so her boyfriend took her back to the hospital.

“Real Housewives of Orange County” star Vicki Gunvalson, 62, is sharing her recent health scare after she was hospitalized with sepsis, a potentially deadly disease that results from the body’s response to an infection. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

“I was admitted for six days with sepsis and pneumonia,” she said. 

Gunvalson was treated with a course of antibiotics and is now recovering at home, while staying in regular contact with the sepsis team at the hospital. 

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The reality TV star has experienced some memory loss and difficulty concentrating, but said she hopes the “brain fog” will improve over time.

In retrospect, the sepsis may have stemmed from a sinus infection two months ago that was treated by multiple rounds of antibiotics, Gunvalson said.

Symptoms and dangers

Common symptoms of sepsis include fever, chills, rapid heart rate, confusion, shortness of breath, extreme pain, and clammy or sweaty skin, according to Gilles.

A high fever – especially in those who are at increased risk of infection and are feeling extremely unwell – should warrant seeking medical attention as soon as possible, Glatt added.

“Sepsis awareness can and does save lives, yet only 65% of American adults have ever heard of it.” 

“Fatigue and lethargy in the setting of infection can be a sign of pneumonia and potential sepsis, even without overt pulmonary symptoms,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News’ senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, told Fox News Digital. 

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As sepsis can start within hours, Gilles suggested following the acronym “TIME” to remember that time is of the essence when it comes to seeking treatment.

T – Temperature (higher or lower than normal)

I – Infection (know the signs and symptoms)

M – Mental decline (confusion, sleepiness and difficulty awakening)

E – Extremely ill (severe pain, discomfort and shortness of breath)

Approximately 1.7 million adults are diagnosed with sepsis every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Approximately 1.7 million adults are diagnosed with sepsis every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (iStock)

The illness kills 350,000 American adults each year and is a leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, Gilles noted. 

It is the third-leading killer behind heart disease, which takes just over 700,000 lives each year, and cancer, which causes more than 600,000 annual deaths, per CDC data.

“Sepsis takes a life every 90 seconds — that’s more lives than opioids, breast cancer, prostate cancer and stroke combined,” she said.

Common myths about sepsis

Many people mistakenly assume that sepsis is an infection.

“Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death,” Gilles said. 

The condition can come after any infection — whether just a scrape or cut, a dental procedure or surgery, or even a [bacteria], fungus or parasite — triggers a “chain reaction” in the body, the doctor added.

Treatment of sepsis will vary based on the underlying infection, but it often involves administering antibiotics as soon as possible. (iStock)

Another common myth is that sepsis only occurs in those who are (or were recently) hospitalized.

Most cases of sepsis, around 87%, start before a patient enters the hospital, Gilles said.

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“Community-acquired infections, such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and even simple cuts or scrapes can lead to sepsis if not treated properly,” Gilles noted.

Many people also think sepsis only affects immunocompromised people.

Older adults, infants and those with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of sepsis. (iStock)

“Sepsis can strike almost anyone at almost any time,” Glatt said.

“While certain individuals are at higher risk of getting a severe infection that can even be deadly, serious infections can strike even a perfectly healthy young person with rare but potentially fatal consequences,” he went on.

Older adults, infants and those with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems are at a higher risk, however.

Treatment and prevention

The first step is discovering the underlying cause of the infection, according to the CDC.

Sepsis often starts in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, skin or urinary tract.

“Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death,” a doctor said.  (iStock)

Treatment will vary based on the underlying infection, but often involves administering antibiotics as soon as possible.

“While antibiotics are crucial for treating an underlying bacterial infection, managing sepsis often requires a comprehensive approach — including fluids, medications to support blood pressure, and sometimes surgery or [a ventilator], depending on the severity,” said Gilles.

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Surgery is sometimes necessary to remove tissue damaged by the infection, the CDC states.

It’s also important to maintain blood flow to the organs, often with fluids.

“Sepsis can strike almost anyone at almost any time.” 

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“If you suspect sepsis, seek medical attention right away,” Gilles advised.

The risk can be reduced by quickly identifying and managing infections, according to the doctor.

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Added Gilles, “It can also be prevented by practicing good hygiene, staying current with vaccinations, staying in good health, keeping cuts clean and dry, and promptly seeking treatment when infections are suspected.”

A rare, potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease has sparked concern in the Northeastern U.S.

Last week, a man from Hampstead, New Hampshire, died after testing positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).

The man “was hospitalized due to severe central nervous system disease, and has passed away due to [the] illness,” according to a statement from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

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Another New Hampshire man, Joe Casey, is currently in the ICU on a ventilator after contracting three mosquito-borne illnesses, including EEE, according to local reports.

In late August, four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — set a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.

That decision came after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the first human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) since 2020 in Worcester County, affecting an elderly man in Oxford.

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As of Aug. 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported four total cases of the virus in 2024, although that data is subject to change.

There were seven cases reported in 2023, one case in 2022, five in 2021 and 13 in 2020.

The year 2019 saw a spike, with 38 cases reported.

What is Eastern equine encephalitis?

Eastern equine encephalitis is caused by a virus that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to the CDC, which describes EEE as a “rare but serious disease.”

Only a few cases are reported in the U.S. each year, most in the Eastern or Gulf Coast states.

In late August, four Massachusetts towns — Douglas, Oxford, Sutton and Webster — set a voluntary evening lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. (iStock)

Humans and other animals that contract the virus are considered “dead-end hosts,” the CDC states, which means they can’t spread it to mosquitoes that bite them.

“While EEE is widespread in the Western Hemisphere, it normally affects animals such as large mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and rarely causes clinical infection in human beings,” Dr. Eyal Leshem, director of the Center for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, told Fox News Digital.

What’s causing the uptick?

While EEE was previously “very uncommon” in the U.S., there is the potential for these types of viruses to become more prevalent across the country, according to Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

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“As warm seasons get longer, mosquitoes have more time to breed,” Liu told Fox News Digital. 

“If heavy rains cause standing pools of water, that will create an environment for larger mosquito populations.”

The CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and treating clothing and gear with permethrin, which is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes. (iStock)

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, confirmed that the virus has been “exceedingly rare, though “frequently disabling (neurologically) and deadly.”

He also told Fox News Digital, “I don’t think it will become a problem, as it is very rare, with just a few cases per year, but the fear of it is spreading.”

Symptoms of the virus

Common symptoms of EEE include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, per the CDC.

These usually appear five to 10 days after being bitten.

The disease can be deadly, resulting in fatalities for 30% of infected people.

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“Sometimes patients exhibit a change in mental status or other neurological symptoms, which are linked to inflammation in their meninges (membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord) or their brains,” said Leshem. 

“There is no specific drug or antiviral that has proven effective in treating EEE.”

Older people and those who are immunocompromised are at the highest risk for mosquito-borne encephalitis.

Common symptoms of EEE include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness. (iStock)

The disease is also more dangerous if it occurs in tandem with other viral infections that cause encephalitis, according to Liu.

“We know ticks can carry more than one pathogen, so it would be concerning if mosquitoes carry more than one pathogen,” he said.

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The only treatment for EEE is supportive care to manage symptoms.

“There is no specific drug or antiviral that has proven effective in treating EEE,” Leshem said. 

There is also no vaccine available for Eastern equine encephalitis. 

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“Testing for encephalitis is still not very available outside of hospitals, and sometimes not accurate,” Liu warned.  

“It would not be surprising if its testing confused two similar viruses, as the antibody testing we use is not always accurate.”

Preventing infection

Protecting against mosquito bites is the best way to prevent infection, experts agree.

“We need to make sure that mosquito control programs stay strong,” said Liu.  

Stagnant water attracts mosquitoes, experts say. Eliminating standing water is one way to prevent breeding. (iStock)

“We cannot rely on each homeowner to pay for mosquito control services. In New Jersey, mosquito control is county-based and therefore at the mercy of the county budget.”

“Testing for encephalitis is still not very available outside of hospitals, and sometimes not accurate.”

The CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and treating clothing and gear with permethrin, which is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes.

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Taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors can also help prevent infection, the agency states on its website.

Some recommended strategies include using screens on windows and doors, using air conditioning when possible, and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes tend to lay their eggs.

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