North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality - La Crosse virus confirmed

[Ronan Kelly]

Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County

2:58 PM, Sep. 1, 2011 | 11Comments

ASHEVILLE ? An 8-year-old Henderson County girl died Wednesday at Mission Hospital from what officials suspect may be La Crosse encephalitis, a mosquito-borne virus.

Fluid specimens from the child have been sent to a state public health laboratory in Raleigh to confirm the cause of death, officials said today.

...
The girl?s 7-year-old brother also reportedly is sick with the virus.

...

http://www.citizen-times.com/articl...County?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

 

[alert]

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

Slightly unclear. The article mentions four siblings, saying only one other is ill, but the age does not agree with the above post. Either there is some discrepancy in the age, or this actually represents a third case.

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article...cials-investigate-possible-encephalitis-cases

Health officials investigate possible encephalitis cases
By Jessica Goodman
Times-News

Published: Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 1:45 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 1:45 p.m.
County health officials are working to determine the disease that affected two Henderson County children. An 8-year-old girl reportedly died from the disease at Mission Hospital, according to Tom Bridges, health director for the Henderson County Department of Health. Her 5-year-old brother was also taken to Mission Hospital with symptoms.

The girl was admitted Saturday to Mission Hospital with a headache, nausea and a fever. Acetaminophen was used to treat the girl's headache, but the headache persisted. Tests done at the hospital ruled out bacterial meningitis, according to Bridges. Bridges added the girl was one of four children, and only two have shown symptoms of the disease.

Bridges said two diseases are suspected, either La Crosse encephalitis or viral meningitis. Samples from the children have been sent to Raleigh to identify the disease. Bridges expects the results back tomorrow.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has no meningitis investigations in Henderson County, according to Jeff Dimond, spokesman for the CDC.

“What we do have is a strong suspicion it is La Crosse encephalitis,” Bridges said.

La Crosse encephalitis is transmitted through mosquito bites. Among people who become ill, initial symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness, according to the CDC website.

Bridges said worried parents should watch their children. He also suggested to use bug repellent with DEET and to wear long sleeves in the evening. People who develop a headache that doesn't respond to acetaminophen and have other flu-like symptoms should see a doctor.

Bridges added they are still investigating the incident. He added that just because the children were residents of Henderson County, they may have been traveling and the bite might not have happened locally.

 

[alert]

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

This is older than the two articles above.

http://www.my40.tv/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wlos_vid_5322.shtml

Health officials at Mission Hospital are trying to determine what caused
a brother and sister from Henderson County to get sick. The siblings
were brought to Mission after showing symptoms like headache and fever.
We have learned that the eight year old girl was taken off life support
Wednesday night. The little boy remains in fair condition. Doctors say
the siblings could have meningitis but are waiting on test results from
the state to make a diagnosis. The two cases could be connected to
mosquitoes. If they are, that would make them lacrosse encephalitis. The results are expected to be released in the next 48 hours. Meningitis Scare
Thursday, September 1 2011, 12:40 AM EDT

 

[Shiloh]

N.C. Girl Dead From Suspected Mosquito-Related Virus

N.C. Girl Dead From Suspected Mosquito-Related Virus

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mosquito-bites-disease/story?id=14437855

N.C. Girl Dead From Suspected Mosquito-Related Virus
By JANE E. ALLEN, ABC News Medical Unit
Sept. 2, 2011

An 8-year-old North Carolina girl died this week from encephalitis, after she was bitten by a mosquito likely carrying LaCrosse virus. Her death and the hospitalization of her younger brother are the latest evidence that a wet spring and a hot, wet summer have boosted the insects' population and power to imperil public health.

Health officials on Friday awaited results of lab tests to confirm the underlying cause of the brain inflammation that proved fatal to the Henderson County, N.C., child. The youngster, whose name was being withheld, died Wednesday at Mission Hospital in Asheville, in the mountains of western North Carolina. The LaCrosse virus, which travels from the bloodstream into the brain, can cause headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting and weakness. It can only be spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. It cannot be spread from person to person.

"North Carolina is one of the areas where LaCrosse virus is endemic, so having them report cases is not uncommon," J. Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist at a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort Collins, Colo., said Friday. "LaCrosse disease is described more often in children, likely due to the interaction between children and the tree-hole breeding mosquitoes that carry the virus."

As of Aug. 30, there were 22 confirmed and probable LaCrosse illnesses reported to the CDC. The CDC tally consisted of four cases from North Carolina, along with others from Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin...

 

[alert]

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20110903/ARTICLES/109031004/1042/sitemaps

Officials urge caution around mosquitoes
Encephalitis case could be confirmed this weekendBy Jessica Goodman
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, September 2, 2011 at 8:18 p.m.
Henderson County health officials are still waiting for confirmation of the disease responsible for the death of an 8-year-old girl.

Betsy Alexander, director of nursing for the Henderson County Health Department, said the results from lab work are expected this weekend.

Health officials strongly suspect La Crosse encephalitis is responsible for the child?s illness, and Alexander said the health department is warning people to be aware of mosquitoes.

La Crosse encephalitis is a mosquito-borne disease that has initial symptoms of fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and tiredness, according to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The eastern treehole mosquito is responsible for spreading the virus. The disease is not transmitted person to person, according to the CDC.

?Western North Carolina appears to be an area where there is the right kind of mosquito,? Alexander said.

Alexander is urging people to protect themselves by avoiding areas with mosquitoes, using bug repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants if they go outdoors in the evening hours. Alexander added that residents should make sure there is no standing water on their property because water is the mosquito?s breeding place.

Usually, La Crosse encephalitis creates a fairly mild illness, though it will affect people differently, Alexander added. Alexander said she could not release any more information about the girl who succumbed to the disease.

Health officials have said the victim has a 5-year-old brother who also was hospitalized with the disease, but he is recovering. The children were treated at Mission Hospital in Asheville.

 

[alert]

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

Re: North Carolina: Health officials probe possible encephalitis cases in Henderson County, 1 fatality

Good enough. Confirmed.

http://www.citizen-times.com/articl...cephalitis?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

Health department: Brother of dead Henderson girl had La Crosse

8:15 PM, Sep. 7, 2011

HENDERSONVILLE ? Health officials confirmed the brother of the Henderson County 8-year-old girl who died last week had La Crosse viral encephalitis, a mosquito-borne illness.

The state public health laboratory confirmed La Crosse infection in the boy, but they were inconclusive in the girl, who succumbed to the disease, officials announced Wednesday. Samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control for further testing and it is unknown when results of the latest tests will be available.
?Although summer is nearly over, this is a reminder to be vigilant about the threat of mosquitoes,? Betsy Alexander, director of nursing at the county health department, said in a release.
?La Crosse symptoms occur from a few days to a couple of weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito,? she said. ?Symptoms to look for include fever, headache, and nausea and vomiting. In more severe cases, convulsions, tremors and coma can occur.?
Mosquitoes are most active from June through September. They prefer wooded environments or wet places. Mosquitoes like to breed after a heavy rainfall in areas where water collects such as in flower pots, toys, tires, and birdbaths, according to the Department of Public Health.
Children younger than 16 and the elderly are the most susceptible to the disease. People can also protect their families from mosquito bites by using mosquito repellants.