HOUSTON — A Houston man is fighting for his life after his family says he contracted the West Nile Virus.
John Hudson, 73, spent a little over a month in the ICU at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Although he is now out, he still has a long way to a full recovery.
"He went out about a month ago on the 27th of July to grab a bite to eat and he never came home," said Hudson's son, Nicholas Hawkins.
Hawkins said his mom went looking for his dad.
"She found him slumped over the steering wheel outside of Whataburger," he said.
Hudson was rushed to the hospital.
"It was West Nile. We know he had West Nile and it created a slew of issues," Hawkins said.
Hudson was intubated while in the ICU with doctors attributing all his issues to West Nile Virus.
"His blood pressure would spike and drop. High fever for days. Well over a week he had a high fever. Sepsis. Kidney failure, tacheometry internal bleeds. A number of bleeds," Hawkins said.
When KHOU 11 News reached out to the Houston Health Department, they said they had 0 cases of West Nile Virus.
"We have proof right here there is at least one," said Hawkins.
The family said the numbers don’t make sense.
The City of Houston and Harris County have set up traps for mosquitoes across the area and together have 673 positive samples of West Nile in their traps so far this year.
Harris County also has 24 people who have tested positive for West Nile in the county. 22 have been hospitalized.
The family doesn’t understand why John’s case is not being counted in the city.
"Like the mosquitoes differentiate between the county and city and stay out of the city. It makes no sense," said Hawkins.
The City of Houston sent KHOU 11 News a statement regarding this issue.
“They have a process which determines confirmed cases. And currently, we have no confirmed cases of West Nile in the city of Houston. Once a case is confirmed, we report to the proper agencies, but we do not discuss individual cases due to privacy concerns.”
But Hudson's family is sharing their story in hopes of bringing awareness to the danger of West Nile Virus.
"If people are aware this is occurring, they take the precautionary measures can help reduce the chances of contracting," Hawkins said.
The family said Hudson is still in delicate condition and is unable to walk or move much yet. His wife is a teacher juggling work and the rehab facility.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family.