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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Mon 30 Jul 2012
Source: East Coast Radio [edited]
Doctors stumped by child 'rabies' case
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After more than 2 months in the hospital, doctors still haven't been able to confirm the diagnosis of a 4-year-old boy who was admitted after showing rabies symptoms. The boy -- who is from Engonyameni near Umlazi -- is in a critical but stable condition in the hospital. He's believed to have been bitten by a rabid dog in April [2012].
Tests conducted on the boy have come back negative for the deadly virus. However, officials say they can't rule it out as that was also the case with Underberg farmer Graeme Anderson [see ProMED-mail archived reports below). He's one of 3 people in the province who have died of rabies this year.
The KZN Agriculture Department's Jeffrey Zikhali says doctors have carried out further tests and will continue to monitor the boy. "We can call this boy a fighter," he said. "[Doctors] have pulled out all the stops and are trying to find answers but at this stage no answer has successfully been given that explains how he is still alive. "He's being fed through a gastro tube, and he is getting oxygen."
[Byline: Tamlyn Canham]
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[An earlier East Coast Radio report on 29 Jun 2012 stated that it was believed that the child was bitten in April in Engonyameni near Umlazi, south of Durban. Tests conducted on the remains of the 2 animals thought to have bitten him tested positive for rabies. Doctor Grant Lindsay -- who treated Underberg canoeist Graeme Anderson who recently lost his battle against rabies -- said it's a difficult disease for health professionals to monitor. "It's a very difficult disease to diagnose with laboratory testing and there are many other laboratory tests that you can do -- some of which are not even done in South Africa -- to rule out other diseases." (http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/...ged-4--in-coma).
A map showing the locations of the provinces of South Africa is available at http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworl...inces_map2.htm. - Mod.CP]
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Mon 30 Jul 2012
Source: East Coast Radio [edited]
Doctors stumped by child 'rabies' case
--------------------------------------
After more than 2 months in the hospital, doctors still haven't been able to confirm the diagnosis of a 4-year-old boy who was admitted after showing rabies symptoms. The boy -- who is from Engonyameni near Umlazi -- is in a critical but stable condition in the hospital. He's believed to have been bitten by a rabid dog in April [2012].
Tests conducted on the boy have come back negative for the deadly virus. However, officials say they can't rule it out as that was also the case with Underberg farmer Graeme Anderson [see ProMED-mail archived reports below). He's one of 3 people in the province who have died of rabies this year.
The KZN Agriculture Department's Jeffrey Zikhali says doctors have carried out further tests and will continue to monitor the boy. "We can call this boy a fighter," he said. "[Doctors] have pulled out all the stops and are trying to find answers but at this stage no answer has successfully been given that explains how he is still alive. "He's being fed through a gastro tube, and he is getting oxygen."
[Byline: Tamlyn Canham]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[An earlier East Coast Radio report on 29 Jun 2012 stated that it was believed that the child was bitten in April in Engonyameni near Umlazi, south of Durban. Tests conducted on the remains of the 2 animals thought to have bitten him tested positive for rabies. Doctor Grant Lindsay -- who treated Underberg canoeist Graeme Anderson who recently lost his battle against rabies -- said it's a difficult disease for health professionals to monitor. "It's a very difficult disease to diagnose with laboratory testing and there are many other laboratory tests that you can do -- some of which are not even done in South Africa -- to rule out other diseases." (http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/...ged-4--in-coma).
A map showing the locations of the provinces of South Africa is available at http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworl...inces_map2.htm. - Mod.CP]