11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed-NOT

[Roehl_JC]

Reported by: Erin Maloney/WCIA 3 News
Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009 @04:32pm CST

The Ford County Health Department wants to find out what killed a Central Illinois sixth grader. 11-year old Natalie Johnson died last night. Health officials in Paxton say she may have had a bacterial infection. They're waiting on tests to confirm what she died from.
The health department had a meeting at Paxton Buckley Loda Junior High. Johnson was a sixth grader. They want to make sure anyone who had close contact with her is treated. They're also with her family today. If it is something like bacterial meningitis-- They want to prepare everyone for treatment. Johnson felt sick last weekend. She was throwing up and had a headache. But her illness didn't become severe until Tuesday. She died a day later. Johnson's autopsy is done. But it could be days before we know how she died.

http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=120412

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'?

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'?

PBL sixth-grader dies after experiencing flu-like symptoms

By Will Brumleve

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 3:03 PM <ACRONYM title="Central Standard Time">CDT</ACRONYM>

PAXTON ? Grief counseling is being provided to students and staff at Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School after the unexpected death of a sixth-grade student who had been ill with flu-like symptoms.

?The PBL school community is deeply saddened by the unexpected death of Natalie Johnson, a sixth-grade student,? said Superintendent Cliff McClure. ?Our hearts and prayers go out to the Johnson family at this time.?

Natalie died Tuesday after being taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Paxton Police Chief Bob Bane confirmed.

The cause of her death was not immediately known. Officials with the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department said the child had been ill with a fever, but they are awaiting an autopsy report from the Champaign County Coroner?s Office to determine if there is a community health concern.

Meanwhile, as a precaution, the health department is encouraging parents of children who possibly had been in contact with Natalie in recent days to seek medical attention immediately and also to call the health department if their children display any flu-like symptoms or high fevers.

?If the autopsy comes back as a confirmed communicable disease, and we have people that have called in with the symptoms of that disease, then we can go to those people as opposed to finding them in the crowd ... which will help us put the puzzle pieces together,? said public information officer Julie Clark.

Clark said the coroner?s office has indicated that the autopsy results would not be finished until Monday. Coroner Duane Northrup did not immediately return an e-mail and calls made to his cell phone.

Preventative medication has been provided to Natalie?s family, ?in case certain things come out through the autopsy,? Clark said. Preventative medication is not being given to students at PBL Junior High School, Clark said, but she said the health department is ?doing some research as far as what students sat around her and maybe had close contact with her.?

McClure said he will continue to keep in close contact with the health department as more information becomes available. He added that the school district continues to monitor symptoms of students and be ?very vigilant? in its efforts to limit the spread of diseases within its four schools, through stressing ?the three Cs? ? clean, cover, contain ? to students and staff.

?We have a containment plan everyday. We started that from day one, for any illness,? McClure said.

Natalie?s father, Michael Allan Johnson of Loda, in a post on Facebook on Wednesday morning, said his daughter ?was the sweetest, most innocent child you could hope to meet, and I am devastated.?

?I know she is in Heaven now, but I wish I could have her back with me and her family.?

McClure said the school district is providing grief counseling to students and staff and will continue to do so as long as it is needed.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Evangelical Covenant Church, Paxton. Visitation is Friday from 4-8 p.m. at Baier Family Funeral Services, 406 E. Pells St., Paxton.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/lo...der_dies_after_experiencing_flu-like_symptoms

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'?

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'?

Health officials tell PBL parents to send kids to school after girls death
StoryDiscussionBy Roger Miller | rmiller@pantagraph.com | Posted: Thursday, December 3, 2009 8:35 pm | No Comments Posted

LODA -- While health officials look for a cause in an 11-year-old Loda girl's death, they encouraged Paxton-Buckley-Loda parents on Wednesday to continue sending their children to school.

Natalie Kathryn Johnson died at 2:05 p.m. Tuesday at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, of an unknown illness, officials said.

The Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department reported that some preliminary lab results were received Wednesday, but they were inconclusive and testing will continue.
"Standard safety measures are in place, and parents are encouraged to send their children to school," the health department said in a prepared statement.

The death of the PBL Junior High School sixth-grader came as a shock to the students and school staff, said Superintendent Cliff McClure. Grief counselors have been on hand since Tuesday and will remain available at least through today, he said.

"We're saddened by her loss and we lift up prayers for the Johnson family," he said. "We're allowing students to talk to friends and adults and to go through the (grieving) process."

While H1N1 flu has not been ruled in or not, the district already was being vigilant about controlling infection since H1N1 emerged in the spring. Those precautions, which range from conducting hand-washing clinics to screening out and sending home students with flu-like symptoms, remain in force, he said.
The district has had no unusual spikes in reports of student illnesses or absences, McClure said.

The district is cooperating with the health department investigation, including tracking down students who may have had contact with Natalie.

"Once the lab results come back, I'm going to take whatever actions they (the health department) tell us to do," McClure said. "We're going to do what we have to do to keep kids safe."

Natalie was born March 30, 1998, in Urbana, the daughter of Michael A. and Stephanie L. Christensen Johnson.

Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Evangelical Covenant Church, Paxton. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today at Baier Family Funeral Services, Paxton.
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/article_a700b2b6-e07e-11de-aae8-001cc4c03286.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'?

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'?

Autopsy: Rare disease cause of Paxton girl's death
By Will Brumleve
Thursday, December 3, 2009 5:55 PM CDT

URBANA ? The Champaign County coroner said a sixth-grade student at Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School appears to have died from a blood infection called Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome, a highly contagious disease commonly caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis.
?It?s not H1N1; it?s not meningitis,? Coroner Duane Northrup said Thursday afternoon, noting, though, that the disease is similar to meningitis.


Northrup said an autopsy performed Tuesday evening revealed that 11-year-old Natalie Johnson died from the disease, ?but we?re still waiting on confirmation from the state department of public health,? which has been given blood samples.

?It will probably be Monday before we have any definite results,? he said.
Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department officials said in a press relesae that ?some preliminary lab results were received? at 4:15 p.m. Thursday but were inconclusive.

?Testing is still under way,? the release said. ?At this time no definitive results have materialized. Additional lab results are expected in the near future and will help provide a conclusive diagnosis.?


Preventive medication was provided to Natalie?s family, ?in case certain things come out through the autopsy,? said Julie Clark, spokesman for the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department, on Wednesday. Preventive medication is not being given to students at PBL Junior High School, Clark had said, but she said the health department is ?doing some research as far as what students sat around her and maybe had close contact with her.?

?The Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department is still investigating this case and is continuing their work with the school district,? Thursday?s press release said. ?Standard safety measures are in place, and parents are encouraged to send their children to school.?

Clark said Thursday that since the lab results have not confirmed a communicable disease, the health department has not determined that a serious community health concern exists.

Meanwhile, the health department continues to encourage parents of children who possibly had been in contact with Natalie Johnson in recent days to seek medical attention immediately and to call the health department if their children display any flu-like symptoms or high fevers.

Clark said the health department has been flooded with calls from concerned parents.

?We?ve been having people call before we even told the media to have people call,? Clark said.

The onset of the disease is associated with fever, rigors, vomiting, and headache.

Natalie died Tuesday after being taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. She had been experiencing flu-like symptoms, including a fever, Clark said.

PBL Superintendent Cliff McClure said Wednesday that the school district continues to monitor symptoms of students and be ?very vigilant? in its efforts to limit the spread of diseases within its four schools, through stressing ?the three Cs? ? clean, cover, contain ? to students and staff.

McClure said Thursday the school district is awaiting direction from the health department on whether to take additional safety measures.

The school district continues to provide grief counseling to students and staff and will continue to do so as long as it is needed, McClure said.

Funeral services for Natalie, a Loda resident, are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Evangelical Covenant Church, Paxton. Visitation is Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Baier Family Funeral Services, 406 E. Pells St., Paxton.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/12/03/autopsy_rare_disease_cause_of_paxton_girls_death

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Possible Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Possible Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome

Dec 4, 2009 10:31 am US/Central
Eastern Ill. Girl Dies Of Rare Blood Infection

URBANA, Ill. (AP) ―

<DL class="cbstv_article_images cbstv_img_border" sizset="3" sizcache="0"><DT>The Champaign County coroner says a sixth-grader appears to have died from a rare blood infection that's contagious through close contact.<DT><DT> <DT>Coroner Duane Northrup says an autopsy shows 11-year-old Natalie Johnson of Loda died Tuesday of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says the illness is contagious through close contact, such as kissing.

The Paxton-Buckley-Loda school district says it's waiting for direction from the local health department but isn't closing schools. Health department officials are still investigating.

The CDC says symptoms include fever, low blood pressure, bleeding and a rash. Up to 1,500 people in the U.S. get the bacterial illness each year.
<DT><DT> <DT>http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Rare.contagious.blood.2.1349850.html


</DT></DL>

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed

Paxton Girl's Death Remains Inconclusive
Reported by: Christa Dubson/WCIA 3 News
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2009 @05:37pm CST

Lab results are in in the death of an 11 year old. Natalie Johnson of Paxton died last week. The coronor's report indicated a bacterial blood infection. The lab results are inconclusive and don't show what killed her. The health department doesn't' know if Johnson was contagious.
Anyone who is concerned and would like to get vaccinated should call the health department. That number is 217-379-9281. The vaccine is free of charge. Health Officials are encouraging parents to get their child vaccinated at one of the clinics providing the H1N1 flu vaccine.
http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=121582

 

[german-docter]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed

Paxton Girl's Death Remains Inconclusive
Reported by: Christa Dubson/WCIA 3 News
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2009 @05:37pm CST

Lab results are in in the death of an 11 year old. Natalie Johnson of Paxton died last week. The coronor's report indicated a bacterial blood infection. The lab results are inconclusive and don't show what killed her. The health department doesn't' know if Johnson was contagious.
Anyone who is concerned and would like to get vaccinated should call the health department. That number is 217-379-9281. The vaccine is free of charge. Health Officials are encouraging parents to get their child vaccinated at one of the clinics providing the H1N1 flu vaccine.
http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=121582

Did they find ?Neisseria menigitidis? in the cultures of blood or a nasal swab? Obviously not! If yes, this would really be a typical case of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome and nothing else.

What is the meaning of "indicated a bacterial blood infection" ? If they only have found any other species or if they did NOT find "Neisseria menignitidis" any hypothesis of co-infections or another cause of death still would be open for discussion.


for details see post # 5 (mine)
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135680
Re: Autopsy: Rare disease cause of Paxton girl's death

 

[Shiloh]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed-maybe not

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed-maybe not

Source: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/lo...able_to_find_cause_of_pbl_sixth-graders_death

Lab unable to find cause of PBL sixth-grader's death
By Will Brumleve
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 8:16 AM CDT


PAXTON ? Laboratory results received by the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department on Tuesday did not confirm that a Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School sixth-grader died from a rare blood infection that is highly contagious upon close contact.

Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup said last week that an autopsy showed 11-year-old Natalie Johnson appeared to have died from a blood infection called Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome, caused by a severe bacterial infection. Blood work had been sent to a lab at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana to confirm the findings.


"The laboratory results received from the director of pathology, Dr. I.L. Uzoara, at Carle Foundation Hospital Laboratory are inconclusive as to the cause of death," Tuesday's press release said.

The health department's responsibility now is to follow Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines in relation to deaths ending without laboratory results as to the formal cause of death, said Ford-Iroquois Public Health Administrator Doug Corbett in the release.

Corbett said in the release that he understands that the lack of conclusive results may cause some worry in the community.

"With that in mind and in view of reports released earlier in the week from the coroner's office, the health department has placed an order for vaccine specifically manufactured for Neisseria Meningiditis bacteria," which commonly causes Waterhouse-Friderichson syndrome, he said. Individuals interested in receiving the vaccine should call the health department at 379-9281. The vaccine is free of charge.

Corbett also encouraged all parents of school-aged children to have their children vaccinated at one of the clinics providing the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Natalie Johnson died last Tuesday after being taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. She had been experiencing flu-like symptoms, including a fever, health department spokesman Julie Clark has said.

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome is a rare but deadly complication of severe bacterial infections, most commonly meningococcal disease, said Dr. Henry Wu, a medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include low blood pressure, a "state of circulatory shock," bleeding and a rash, Wu said. Meningococcal disease, meanwhile, has symptoms including fever, headaches and neck stiffness, he said.

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome is highly contagious but "requires fairly close contact" to spread, Wu said. It can be spread through direct contact, like kissing, and through direct exposure to oral secretions.

"Being in the same room typically is not enough," Wu said.

It is treatable, through antibiotics, if detected early, said Wu.

Preventive medication was provided to Natalie's family, Clark said last week. Preventive medication was not being given to students at PBL Junior High School, Clark had said, but she said the health department was "doing some research as far as what students sat around her and maybe had close contact with her."

The health department is encouraging parents of children who possibly had been in contact with Natalie Johnson in recent days before her death to seek medical attention immediately and call the health department if their children display any flu-like symptoms or high fevers.

Despite being flooded with phone calls from concerned parents, Clark noted Friday that there were no confirmed cases of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome in any area children, including Natalie Johnson.

Meanwhile, attendance at PBL Junior High School and the school district's other three schools remained stable on both Friday and Monday.

 

[alert]

Re: 11 yr old's death in Ford County a 'mystery'? - Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome confirmed-NOT

They should (and probably now are) try to culture any other bacteria from the blood. This could be a staph or strep case (with or without H1N1 infection), or could be due to some other bacteria. As mentioned in the speculation thread, Haemophilus influenzae bacteria is a possible culprit.