Child at Toronto drug-resistant Meningitis

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       Child at Toronto hospital battling drug-resistant meningitis

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 | 9:38 PM ET 

CBC News 

Officials at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children on Wednesday confirmed a child has meningitis caused by a multi-drug-resistant strain of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.

The strain of bacteria, a substrain of Streptococcus pneumoniae 19A, is not covered by the pneumococcal vaccine commonly given to children.

A hospital spokesperson said the child did not contract the strain of bacteria, which has been around for years, at the hospital.

Officials wouldn't comment on the child's condition.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain, and can affect the lining of the brain or cause a blood infection.

The symptoms are flu-like and include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, sleeplessness, sensitivity to bright lights and respiratory infection. They also include a reddish-purple bruise-like rash.

The strain of bacteria, which more commonly causes ear infections, can be spread by direct contact with the saliva of an infected person.

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July Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Valued Member Joined: May 24 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1660	Post Options Post Reply Quote July Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Child at Toronto drug-resistant Meningitis Posted: November 08 2007 at 6:07am
	Child at Toronto hospital battling drug-resistant meningitis Last Updated: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 \| 9:38 PM ET CBC News Officials at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children on Wednesday confirmed a child has meningitis caused by a multi-drug-resistant strain of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The strain of bacteria, a substrain of Streptococcus pneumoniae 19A, is not covered by the pneumococcal vaccine commonly given to children. A hospital spokesperson said the child did not contract the strain of bacteria, which has been around for years, at the hospital. Officials wouldn't comment on the child's condition. Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain, and can affect the lining of the brain or cause a blood infection. The symptoms are flu-like and include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, sleeplessness, sensitivity to bright lights and respiratory infection. They also include a reddish-purple bruise-like rash. The strain of bacteria, which more commonly causes ear infections, can be spread by direct contact with the saliva of an infected person.

July Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Valued Member Joined: May 24 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1660	Post Options Post Reply Quote July Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 08 2007 at 6:09am
	Sick Kids 'superbug' resists drugs Nov 08, 2007 04:30 AM Noor Javed Tanya Talaga Staff Reporters A young patient at the Hospital for Sick Children is battling a case of meningitis caused by a drug-resistant "superbug," doctors say. The child has bacterial meningitis caused by a new strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae 19A. Bacterial meningitis is a potentially fatal, fast-moving infection found in the fluid surrounding the spinal cord and brain. Doctors in Rochester, N.Y., first discovered the strain while treating kids with chronic ear infections. Dr. Allison McGeer, a microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, said instances of Strep 19A are not new in Toronto. The city has had about 26 cases â€“ in both adults and children â€“ in the last three years. But this is the first time a multi-drug-resistant form of 19A has been seen at Sick Kids. "This particular strain is the first of its kind (at the hospital)" said Dr. Upton Allen, chief of infectious diseases. Doctors there identified the strain after tests on the child indicated the illness was resistant to conventional medicines. They were forced to find different treatments, such as Levofloxacin, an antibiotic normally approved for adults. They did not disclose the child's condition yesterday but said treatment was ongoing. Allen said public health officials will be monitoring any future incidents involving the 19A strain. "There will be some surveillance mechanism that the public health system will put in place to determine if this is a sporadic, isolated event or if this is part of any evolving trend." But he said parents whose kids get frequent ear infections should not be concerned. http://www.thestar.com/article/274663