US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 3 deaths - 1 probable due to Epstein-Barr virus, 1 probable due to influenza, 1 confirmed due to lymphoma

alert · May 13, 2013

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

H3N8 canine influenza has never infected humans before, so would be a remarkable find if it were involved here. The first case had swine contact, but apparently two months before onset, so too long for influenza. I don't see any links of any of the three cases to dog racing.

If any of these cases are indeed influenza, I would think given the ages involved that it is probably H1N1pdm09.

Emily · May 13, 2013

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

The first case had swine contact, but apparently two months before onset, so too long for influenza.

He was keeping a baby feral pig acquired during the hunt at home, also, but one article said it was examined for known zoonotic disease.

Regarding the racetrack outbreak, it was never confirmed as H3N8, so I wondered about something new circulating. This study says the Central Flyway is understudied as far as avian flu.

Laidback Al · Dec 18, 2013

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

Update ? Third teen died in July 2013

No information on the autopsy results of the first two youths is available online.

Tyler Lane Budro (17M) of Batson, TX, onset February 22, died March 10, 2013.
http://www.tributes.com/show/Tyler-Lane-Budro-95407236

Katie Rios (17F) of Porter, TX, onset April 11, 2013 and died April 29, 2013.
http://montgomerycountypolicereporter.com/breaking-news-katie-rios-has-passed-away/

Besides exhibiting symptoms of ILI, both Tyler and Katie suffered seizures during their illness before they died.

The third victim was Benjamin (BJ) Crawford (17M) of Porter, TX (?) who starting exhibiting similar ILI symptoms sometime in early April but did not have any seizures.
http://montgomerycountypolicereporter.com/something-in-the-air-whats-killing-the-kids/
http://montgomerycountypolicereporter.com/benefit-page-set-up-for-b-j-crawford/

He was hospitalized at Texas Children?s Hospital on April 23, 2013 and 3 weeks later diagnosed with T-Cell and HLH Lymphoma.

A facebook post by BJ?s father on June 1 -

As many of you know BJ was diagnosed after 3 weeks of being on ECMO (lung / heart bypass) with stage 4 Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) or Tcell Lymphoma, and HLH due to the ALCL. The HLH caused the multi organ weakness, with the respiratory failure being the most severe. After serious treatment and many weeks (5.5) he has miraculously improved enough to be off the ECMO (this past Thurs eve). He starts the full blown ALCL treatment tomorrow Sun. June 2. This will be an alternating course of chemo and other meds for 6 months.

The treatment was unsuccessful and BJ died on July 9, 2013.
see https://www.facebook.com/teambj

It is not likely that these cases have any relationship to the 8 recent ILI cases (including 4 deaths) in Montgomery County, Texas.
see: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=214964

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alert · Dec 18, 2013

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 2 died, 1 critical

Nice find, Laidback Al. So the third teen did not have an infectious disease.

I think you are right, there's nothing mysterious here, and nothing related to the current undiagnosed outbreak.

It appears the first teen died of some rare complication of Epstein-Barr virus infection, the second one died of probable influenza, and now we know what killed the third one as well.

alert · Dec 19, 2013

Re: US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 3 deaths - 1 probable due to Epstein-Barr virus, 1 probable due to influenza, 1 confirmed due to lymphoma

Apparently, the families aren't as convinced as to these explanations as the ProMED moderators were:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...rrounds-flu-like-illness-that-has-5077230.php

[snip]

Janie Budro is still waiting for officials to identify the mystery illness that claimed the life of her son, Tyler, on March 10, and that of Katie Rios of Kingwood Park High School on April 29. Both were 17.

A third suspected case in that cluster - a 17-year-old Montgomery County student from New Caney - was eliminated when his death was linked to a form of lymphoma, Budro said.

Moms still in the dark

"But I just talked to Katie's mom last week and we both still don't know what killed our kids," Budro said. "She only knows that her daughter's brain swelling led to her death, but not what caused it to happen, And I still have no answers for my son."

Both teenagers exhibited flu-like symptoms that rapidly progressed to seizures and then death.

Odessa Reed said her son never experienced any seizures, and Montgomery County health authorities said they don't believe the cases are linked.

"It's scary to know that this there's other clusters out there like this," said Budro. "I can't help wondering if there might still be some connection there, somehow. I freak out now if my only other son, who's 16, gets a cold."

[snip]

US, Texas: Unidentified Illness (fatal) - 3 deaths - 1 probable due to Epstein-Barr virus, 1 probable due to influenza, 1 confirmed due to lymphoma

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