California teen fighting for his life after contracting severe West Nile virus
According to a GoFundMe launched by his family, the Long Beach teenager began experiencing a full-body rash, mild headaches, pain in his legs and a low-grade fever.
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THE TAKEAWAY
- A 13-year-old boy contracted a rare and severe case of West Nile virus.
- The teenager began experiencing a full-body rash, mild headaches, pain in his legs and a low-grade fever, until his symptoms worsened until he lost all mobility in both of his legs.
- He has now spent the last three weeks at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - What started as a few mosquito bites quickly turned into a devastating health battle for a healthy 13-year-old California boy.
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Joseph Vazquez has spent the past three weeks at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles after contracting a rare and severe case of West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness.
Joseph Vazquez has spent weeks in the hospital after contracting rare West Nile Virus. (Crystal Salazar/GoFundMe / FOX Weather)
According to a GoFundMe launched by his family, the Long Beach teenager began experiencing a full-body rash, mild headaches, pain in his legs and a low-grade fever.
His symptoms continued to worsen until he lost all mobility in both of his legs. He also developed severe abdominal pain, a stiff neck and a loss of bladder and bowel control.
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Doctors initially diagnosed Vazquez with transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder that occurs when part of the spinal cord becomes inflamed, according to Mayo Clinic. He was prescribed steroids in hopes that they would resolve his symptoms.
Be he got sick, Joseph Vazquez enjoyed playing soccer and watching his favorite sports teams, including the Dodgers, Raiders and Lakers. (Crystal Salazar/GoFundMe / FOX Weather)
However, after spending days in the ICU and undergoing extensive testing, doctors determined that West Nile virus was responsible for his complications.
"Today, Joseph is facing challenges no 13-year-old should ever have to face," Vazquez’s family wrote on the GoFundMe page. "He has lost the use of his legs, loss of bladder and bowel control, and is in excruciating nerve pain from the lower back down to his feet."
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Doctors have warned the family that because of the rarity of Vazquez’s case, there is limited research and experience available to determine what his recovery may look like.
Joseph with his family. (Crystal Salazar/GoFundMe)
"We never imagined that something that began with what seemed like minor symptoms could change Joseph’s life so quickly," his family wrote.
Before his illness, Vazquez enjoyed playing soccer and watching his favorite sports teams, including the Dodgers, Raiders and Lakers.
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The ordeal has not only changed Vazquez’s life but his family’s as well.
His mother, Maria Salazar, a widowed mother of three, has remained by his side around the clock while he receives treatment.
Joseph celebrating his birthday. (Crystal Salazar/GoFundMe)
As the primary provider for the household, Salazar’s time away from work has created a financial crisis for the family, according to the GoFundMe page.
"Please take mosquito-borne illnesses seriously," his family wrote. "Joseph’s experience has opened our family’s eyes to how quickly a mosquito-borne illness can become a serious medical emergency."
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the contiguous U.S.
Mosquito on the skin drinks blood macrophotography. (iiievgeniy / Getty Images)
Each year, more than 1,300 people develop a severe illness that affects the central nervous system, and more than 130 people die from the virus.
So far in 2026, 987 cases have been reported nationwide, including 211 in California.
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Health officials say about 1 in 5 people infected with West Nile virus develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.
A mosquito on a human finger. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images / Getty Images)
There are currently no vaccines to prevent West Nile virus or medications to treat the infection in people.
The CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and loose-fitting pants, avoiding outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and using window and door screens or air conditioning to help keep mosquitoes outside.