OC Father, Grandfather Dies Of Possible West Nile Complications, Family Claims

ANAHEIM, CA — An Anaheim man has died due to complications from West Nile Virus, his family says, though Orange County health officials have yet to comment on whether the virus contributed to his death.

Daniel "Danny" Clavel, 61, was hospitalized for 24 days before he died at an Orange County hospital, according to the family, ABC7 News reported. It was while he was in intensive care that he was diagnosed, the family has claimed. Orange County Health Care Agency has not yet updated its West Nile Virus reports to include Clavel's death as of this report.

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According to a GoFundMe fundraiser in his honor, the family said that he was a husband, father and grandfather. Though they stopped short of explaining his condition in the fundraiser, the family told Eyewitness News that Clavel became ill one month ago. His symptoms were "like the flu," and he later developed a rash and other symptoms of West Nile Virus.

The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District reports that there were seven cases of West Nile Virus contracted in September. The heaviest concentrations are in Anaheim, Fullerton, Buena Park and Los Alamitos, OC Vector Control spokesperson Brian Brannon told ABC7.

The first case of West Nile Virus was contracted in Orange County, also in Anaheim, one month ago.

"West Nile virus is endemic in Orange County, recurring every year during the summer months and continuing into the fall," Orange County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong told the OC Register in August. "There have been multiple detections of West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in Orange County, signaling that this could be an intense WNV season."

This year, there have been 165 positive virus tests in Anaheim, according to OC Vector Control.

Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and rash. There is no vaccine or medication to prevent or treat the virus. Many people who contract West Nile virus never develop symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The CDC has not updated their statistics on West Nile Virus since June.

The OC Health Info website, which last updated its West Nile Virus case information on Sept. 17, has reported 21 cases and no deaths.

"Danny touched the lives of so many people throughout his life," the fundraiser states. "He filled so many roles for his family, especially for his wife, Tracey, and their five children. His absence has left a tremendous emptiness in their hearts and in their home.

"He spent so much of his life helping others," the Clavel Family shared in their fundraiser message. "Now we have an opportunity to surround his family with that same love and support he so freely gave to everyone else."