"My doctor said had I not been the strong man I was, I would have died... [He said,] 'You should have died. You should have brain damage. You should have gone in a coma and died.' But I didn't."

It's been six months since Dino Perissinotti was diagnosed with West Nile Fever, but it's going to take months more for him to recover.

Dino was by his own admission, a workaholic. The 44-year-old would often put in 12 to 14 hours a day, six days a week, at his job at Daimler-Chrysler. Then after work, Dino would spend hours working in his vineyard, just north of Windsor, Ontario. It was on one of these days that he was infected by a mosquito.

"We had a wet spring, but a frost in the spring killed half the mosquitoes, so it was relatively mosquito-free. But yet, one mosquito bit me. I was always a bull. I was always strong. And that has turned me into an old man... I'm still not what I used to be."

Although the recovery has been slow, Dino is doing much better than when he first fell ill.

"It was such a helpless feeling. At one point, I thought I was going to die. I said, 'I'm not going to make it." I said to my wife Diane, 'Help me. I don't know what to do. There nothing I can do to make me feel better'."

Dino first experienced a persistent low-grade fever and severe flu-like symptoms that he just couldn't shake. His wife finally convinced him to go to the hospital when his temperature hit 102 degrees.

"Every minute was like an hour. I kept getting worse and worse, sicker and sicker. I felt like I was dying ... I remember thinking when I touched my chest, I could fry an egg on my stomach."

After waiting eight hours in the hospital, his temperature reached just over 108.

"They took me out and put me on a bed of ice. It felt like heaven. The fever started going down and I just wanted them to leave it on."

He spent 10 days in the hospital and was released without a diagnosis, but was tested for a wide range of illnesses.

"They said 'it's going to take time to get back the results...' When I came home, I couldn't walk 20 metres... I couldn't even do a simple task like start the barbeque. I would sweat, was tired and sit down like an old man and recharge my body, like a battery has to recharge."

He continued to get fevers over 100 degrees. After nine weeks of being sick, Dino finally received his tests back from his doctor.

"He said, "Well it's confirmed." And slapped the file on the desk, 'Significant West Nile virus... That's what you have. That's why you are still sick'."

After staying at home for four months, the former workaholic can now work eight hours a day. But it still leaves Dino exhausted at the end of the day.

"I'm not like I used to be. I'm very tired after work. I used to be very active and now I watch a lot of television. This really knocked me out... I don't know how long it will last."

His doctor expects him to make a full recovery, but after such high fevers, every cell in his body was affected. It's going to take time for his body to adjust.

"That's why I get fevers out of the blue. I'll get a 101 fever by doing nothing, just out of the blue. I start feeling weak and tired... All you need is a fever one day and it knocks you out."

Dino is disappointed with health officials and wonders why it took so long to receive his tests back. His brother-in-law's grandfather was diagnosed in Michigan with West Nile virus. It took only five days to get their test results back.

"That's wrong. It shouldn't take nine weeks, where it could take five days as it's done in America. Why can't it be done here?"

But he is also concerned at the lack of awareness about the virus. Had he known, Dino probably would have taken greater precautions while working in his vineyard.

"The public has to be aware that the dangers are there and let's not hide it. Let's say it the way it is. It's black and white. People are dying. They are people that were not as fortunate as I was. They are on their deathbeds. They are in comas. Some died... And I thank God I'm here for my kids and my family."

While he's grateful that he is recovering, Dino worries about the upcoming mosquito season. Since he has already been infected, his body has developed a natural immunity. However, he worries for his wife and children.

"Anybody can go out in the backyard and get stung by a mosquito... If it can hurt me, it's going to hurt anyone. I fret for my kids ... I have a daughter who's diabetic. What about her? If we have a traditional hot and humid summer, watch out. Those mosquitoes are going to be out there. Watch out for your kids. Watch out for the older people. Watch out for those that aren't as strong."