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Commentary
Atypical
Pneumonia in Indiana Children Raise trH3N2 Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 19:45
November 8, 2011
Her son Luke, 6, has pneumonia.
"When you start seeing chest X-rays with infiltrates, fluid in the lungs, you know this is more than just your typical illness," said Dr. Paula Gustafson, a Shelby county pediatrician.
Gustafson said she saw 15 possible cases of pneumonia last week and upward of five possible cases on Monday.
"We've had some of them complain about intense cough, tightness in their chest, they've been on a couple rounds of antibiotics, and they aren't getting better," she said.
The above comments describe an atypical pneumonia in elementary and middle school students spreading throughout Shelby County, Indiana. The Shelby County health department is treating the outbreak as Mycoplasma, but as seen above, cases have a high temperature and are not responding to antibiotics and there has been no lab confirmations reported. Moreover, at least five of the more than 25 symptomatic students have been hospitalized.
The age demographic matches that of most confirmed trH3N2 cases this year (six of the seven were 9 years of age or younger), of which two were in Indiana. Media reports do not suggest these patients have been tested for influenza.
More information on testing would be useful.
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