Legendary Missouri State University radio broadcaster Art Hains remains hospitalized in critical condition, but the family said Sunday doctors now believe Hains contracted West Nile virus.
Hains, 66, was hospitalized this past week and placed on a ventilator after experiencing pain in his leg that quickly devolved into Hains losing mobility and struggling to breathe.
Doctors initially thought Hains was suffering from an immune system disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome, but the family said Sunday that Hains' new diagnosis is West Nile, the mosquito-borne disease that can cause serious illness. In Hains' case, doctors believe West Nile has caused acute flaccid paralysis, according to the family.