Case Cluster of Meningo-like Illness in Baguio and Urdaneta
Recombinomics Commentary
January 12, 2005
>>The child's 12-year-old brother was earlier confined for more than one week at the Baguio General Hospital (BGH).
While in Baguio City, the boy manifested meningococcemia symptoms after going to the wake of a neighbor in their barangay in Baguio who allegedly died from meningococcemia. The boy survived after receiving immediate and proper medical attention.
But he was diagnosed as having suffered from a central nervous system infection.<<
The above description of the transmission of a meningo-like illness from a neighbor who died and had a wake in Baguio City, to a twelve year old boy who survived, to his ten year old brother who died in Dagupan City after transfer from Urdaneta City.
The human to human transmission of meningo-like illness appears to be modest since later reports indicated that there was no sign of the illness in concerned neighbors in Nanbacuran. However, media reports do not seem to indicate that Neisseria Meningitidus A was isolated, nor is there an indication that any of the three cases were tested for avian influenza, although two died.
In would be useful to test the surviving brother for antibodies to bird flu. This small cluster has a case fatality rate of 67%, which would warrant further investigation since no infectious agent was described.
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