Long Beach boy hospitalized with rare West Nile complication

A 13-year-old Long Beach boy has been hospitalized for three weeks at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles after doctors linked a rare spinal cord condition to West Nile virus, KTLA reported.

The case comes as the Los Angeles area records a spike in West Nile virus cases, with roughly 135 reported this season, according to KTLA.

KTLA reported that Joseph Vasquez contracted West Nile virus through a mosquito bite before doctors diagnosed him with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition that causes severe inflammation of the spinal cord.

Vasquez has lost all mobility in his legs and is having difficulty lifting his head, according to KTLA. Doctors are not sure whether he will regain mobility in his legs.

Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told KTLA 5 News that serious complications can occur even though they are uncommon. "Severe neurologic disease is very rare, but it is very real," Rimoin said.

KTLA reported that about 20% of people who contract West Nile virus experience mild symptoms, according to Rimoin. The Los Angeles area has recorded roughly 135 cases this season.

Vasquez’s family has started a GoFundMe page to help cover medical expenses, KTLA reported. "We are asking for one thing above all: Prayers," the GoFundMe page reads.

"Pray for his healing, his strength, his mental and emotional health, and for the doctors caring for him. We are holding onto hope knowing that Joseph still has a long road ahead of him," the GoFundMe page reads.

The case involves Long Beach and Los Angeles, with broader relevance to Southern California residents facing seasonal West Nile virus risk.