An adolescent from St. Louis County, Missouri, developed uncommon complications from West Nile virus, leaving him paralyzed and on a ventilator.
John Procter V stated that his son’s symptoms began around August 8, when he complained of headaches and dizziness.
A doctor told John Procter VI, 18, a recent high school graduate known as “BB,” that he had a tension headache, was dehydrated and should rest, his father claimed in an interview Thursday.
The family rushed him back to the hospital after he began “violently vomiting,” according to his father. This time, physicians diagnosed him with a “stomach bug,” administered over-the-counter medication, and sent him home.
“It didn’t get better; it got worse,” the older Procter explained. “A fever began to rise, high fever, 103, 104, and he couldn’t break it or keep anything down, so we transported him to another emergency department. They also mentioned that he got a stomach bug there. They also suspected meningitis, but the results were negative. They sent us home with over-the-counter medications.”
However, the teenager’s symptoms deteriorated, and he became lethargic, slurred his speech, and had difficulty raising his arms.
“I recognized that he was in some sort of distress, and I believed he was having a stroke,” Procter told the audience. “I just picked him up and carried him to the car.”
The teen was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with West Nile virus, which is transmitted primarily by infected mosquitos. There are no vaccines or treatments.
The family stated that he is paralyzed from the neck down and is on a ventilator to help him breathe.
West Nile infections rarely cause severe consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every 150 persons experiences central nervous system symptoms such as brain inflammation or meningitis, which is inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord. Neck stiffness, headaches, confusion, and paralysis are all symptoms of a severe disease. Recovery can take weeks or months, and some consequences may be permanent.
According to early data from the CDC, the virus has killed at least 18 people in the United States this year. Last year, there were 182 deaths.
Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, cautioned individuals to exercise caution.
“This is the peak period, the latter week of August and the first week of September when West Nile often peaks nationally. People should be wearing bug repellent right now, she advised.
The Procter family expressed their hope that the teen will fully recover. In an update on a GoFundMe website he set up, Proctor’s father claimed doctors removed his son’s breathing tube “and gave him a [tracheostomy tube] to start breathing rehab and physical therapy.”
“Our son is very weak at the moment and making small but significant improvements,” John Procter V wrote. “His left arm is still quite feeble; he is unable to move his neck or sit up on his own. Please continue to pray for BB, our family, and his friends throughout this difficult time, as well as the doctors and medical staff.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration’s former senior medical adviser, was recently hospitalized for the virus. He told STAT, a health news website, that he had “never been as sick in my life.”
“I felt like I’d been hit by a truck,” Fauci, who is 83, said. He added, “By far, this is the worst I’ve ever been with an illness.”
Fauci, who was the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he initially thought he had an upper respiratory infection. However, he quickly developed “shaking chills” and a high fever, and he felt weak.
He was transported to the hospital on August 16, according to STAT.
Fauci, who is recovering at home, told the news site that the sickness left him so weak that he couldn’t stand up without assistance.
“I just have to rest,” he remarked. “The good news is that I’m headed in the right path. The sad reality is that it will take weeks and weeks to return to normal. This is the history of West Nile. It just completely depletes your energy.”
