Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/...k-from-rare-tick-borne-powassan-virus-9502145
Nine-year-old becomes sick from rare tick-borne Powassan Virus
With the geographic expansion of tick populations in Canada, medical journal said physicians need to be aware of patients with encephalitis symptoms
Sudbury.com Staff
about 14 hours ago
A warning has been issued about a rare sickness called Powassan Virus after a nine-year-old boy became sick following a camping trip in Northern Ontario...
...The latest edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ.ca) features a case study report about the nine-year boy, otherwise healthy, who was presented at the emergency department of an Ontario hospital in July.
The child had a one-day history of fever, a stiff neck and headache.
This followed a camping trip he took the week previous in Northern Ontario.
There were no rashes. There were no gastrointestinal issues. Blood samples were taken and numerous tests followed. Although meningitis was suspected, it was not the case.
As numerous other suspected disorders were tested and ruled out, the boy's condition worsened. Lyme disease was also ruled out.
"On the third day of hospital admission, the patient was transferred to our tertiary care hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, because his level of consciousness was deteriorating. On examination, he appeared unwell, with blood pressure 137/61 mm Hg, heart rate 41 beats/min, and temperature 38.3°C," said the report.
As tests continued, the boy continued to have a fever and headaches, said the report.
The doctors even sent serum arbovirus serology samples to the Ontario Public Health laboratory, but results would not come back until after the patient was discharged.
"Given concern for potential autoimmune encephalitis, the patient received intravenous immunoglobulin at a dosage of 1 g/kg for two days, with notable improvement in his level of consciousness within 24–48 hours," the report said.
"We discontinued antibiotics after a total of five days once bacterial cultures were found to be negative. The patient was subsequently transferred to the inpatient pediatric ward for 10 days for rehabilitation related to a persistent left-sided weakness," the report continued.
Within two months, the boy had recovered...
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Link to CMAJ article: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/19...ign=baytoday.ca: outbound&utm_medium=referral
Nine-year-old becomes sick from rare tick-borne Powassan Virus
With the geographic expansion of tick populations in Canada, medical journal said physicians need to be aware of patients with encephalitis symptoms
Sudbury.com Staff
about 14 hours ago
A warning has been issued about a rare sickness called Powassan Virus after a nine-year-old boy became sick following a camping trip in Northern Ontario...
...The latest edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ.ca) features a case study report about the nine-year boy, otherwise healthy, who was presented at the emergency department of an Ontario hospital in July.
The child had a one-day history of fever, a stiff neck and headache.
This followed a camping trip he took the week previous in Northern Ontario.
There were no rashes. There were no gastrointestinal issues. Blood samples were taken and numerous tests followed. Although meningitis was suspected, it was not the case.
As numerous other suspected disorders were tested and ruled out, the boy's condition worsened. Lyme disease was also ruled out.
"On the third day of hospital admission, the patient was transferred to our tertiary care hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, because his level of consciousness was deteriorating. On examination, he appeared unwell, with blood pressure 137/61 mm Hg, heart rate 41 beats/min, and temperature 38.3°C," said the report.
As tests continued, the boy continued to have a fever and headaches, said the report.
The doctors even sent serum arbovirus serology samples to the Ontario Public Health laboratory, but results would not come back until after the patient was discharged.
"Given concern for potential autoimmune encephalitis, the patient received intravenous immunoglobulin at a dosage of 1 g/kg for two days, with notable improvement in his level of consciousness within 24–48 hours," the report said.
"We discontinued antibiotics after a total of five days once bacterial cultures were found to be negative. The patient was subsequently transferred to the inpatient pediatric ward for 10 days for rehabilitation related to a persistent left-sided weakness," the report continued.
Within two months, the boy had recovered...
+++++
Link to CMAJ article: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/19...ign=baytoday.ca: outbound&utm_medium=referral