Former wrestling champion left paralyzed with memory loss after contracting West Nile Virus READ MORE: Bowel surgeon reveals if you're sitting on the loo for too long By SADIE WHITELOCKS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 19:05, 17 November 2024 | Updated: 19:05, 17 November 2024 e-mail View comments A former professional wrestling champion recently faced his most fearsome competitor yet; a mosquito infected with West Nile Virus. Fabio Caruso, 40, better known as The Sicilian Slammer in the ring, was working in his yard in Whitestone, New York, in September last year when he was bit by a mosquito.
At the time, the wrestler was recovering from a kidney transplant, so his immune system was suppressed, which allowed the virus to quickly spread out of control in his body and develop into a severe infection. As his condition deteriorated , Mr Caruso found himself admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at NYU Langone. Respiratory failure and lower-body paralysis prevented him from breathing on his own and he had to be put on a ventilator to stay alive.
And due to the severity of his symptoms, the athlete experienced a high fever and memory loss for more than two months. According to the CDC, individuals with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants, are at greater risk of serious health complications from West Nile Virus because their immune systems are suppressed. After more than ten months in the hos.
