A 12 year old boy may become Idaho's first West Nile Virus related death.
The boy was attending a summer camp near Gooding, when health officials say he contracted West Nile and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
The State Department of Health and Welfare believes 12 year old Rocco Magliozzi from Boston Massachusetts contracted both diseases but they're still waiting on tests to determine the cause of death.
Health officials say the 12 year old boy was attending the SUWS youth camp for troubled children when he became sick with a fever, rash and headache. The camp took Magliozzi to the hospital and he died Friday at St. Lukes.
Health officials believe Magliozzi was exposed to both diseases since they both demonstrate similar symptoms.
Rocky mountain spotted fever is contracted through tick bites. The health department says it's a more deadly disease than West Nile, though both are rare.
"Rocky Mountain spotted fever is tick born, it is rare here but we do see a few cases each year. It can be a very dangerous disease. It can kill people. West Nile virus can be pretty debilitating as well however if someone is healthy they'll be able to survive it okay," said Ross Mason, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, this is an especially bad year for ticks and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. A Magic Valley man is now sick with the disease.
The department of Health and Welfare says the test results won't be in until Wednesday for the child, but if results are positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, they say it's likely the boy died from a combination of both diseases.
posted
Either this boy is really, really attractive to bugs or he got both infections from either a mosquito or a tick? What do others think? It just seems highly unlikely to me that he got both RARE infections at the same time otherwise.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Honestly, I think this boy was just terribly unlucky, and did contract both diseases at nearly the same time.
While West Nile might be considered "rare", I just spoke with a friend who is a professional tree sprayer in a large metropolitan area. You would think there wouldn't be a live bug anywhere near a guy spraying bug killer most of the day, but he said he has been sick for 2 years with West Nile.
And just like with Lyme, if the wrong tick bites you, you will get RM Spotted Fever. I have heard of several cases of that this year alone.
Summer camp in Idaho is going to be the perfect spot for either of these diseases.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
My daughter was infected with RMSF in January. She lay on my couch and I believe would have died if she had not been eventually properly diagnosed. It took two months! She literally could not hold her up and the damn doctors were saying it was in her head. Yes, I am angry.
The only reason it was diagnosed was because a friend happened to refer us to an infectious disease doctor who looked for it before anything else. None of the dozen doctors we saw before that suggested an infectious disease doctor.
They kept telling us it was possibly rheumatologically related because she could not walk.
It sickens me that this boy had to die because he was not given the proper diagnosis in time.
Our problem now is that she is still symptomatic. I believe the tick had something in addition to the RMSF (maybe Lyme - which is why I'm here). We do have one doctor who fortunately is an LLMD and is trying to get to the bottom of it.
It has been a nightmare.
My heart goes out to the family. My daughter is 13 - I just cannot imagine...
Posts: 40 | From Pasadena | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
That's really tragic! Julier, I do hope you can find a qualified LLMD so your daughter can be evaluated for Lyme, as well as for other "co-infections".
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I can't believe the newspaper actually said "tick born"...sheesh.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
RMSF can be very deadly. My wifes good friends' uncle died within a few days of getting RMSF.
Posts: 649 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2003
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MagicAcorn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8786
posted
Julier, I understand the anger you have for your daughters delay in diagnosis. However, there was no delay in diagnosis here.
RMSF is a nasty illness all alone then add West Nile to the picture and the poor kid just didn't stand a chance. It was not anyone's fault.
I send prayers out to Rocco's family and friends. They must be devastated.
-------------------- Posts: 1279 | From In hiding | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
MagicAcorn - My heart breaks for that family.
I'm just wondering if he was actually given anything to treat the RMSF. It sounds like the testing was done afterwards since the tests aren't back yet. Or am I reading that wrong? It's hard to tell from the article how much time went by before he got to a hospital.
Posts: 40 | From Pasadena | Registered: Jun 2006
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MagicAcorn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Julier - I feel bad also. The kid was taken to the hospital and died. This kid had really bad luck. This wasn't carelessness he had two potentially deadly illnesses at the same time.
-------------------- Posts: 1279 | From In hiding | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
You know - I guess my post came across too harsh. I am not implying they were careless - just very sad that supposedly RMSF is treatable if caught in time. At least this is what we were told.
The child obviously had more going against him with the WNV, but geez that was fast! It took two months to dx my daughter and she did positive for RMSF and valley fever so she had a lot of crazy symptoms.
I will say that the majority of the doctors that tried to help us were very caring (except for the one hospital who said it was in her head), but they are just not trained to look for anything tick related in Southern California.
What's interesting too is that when you google Rocco's name, the articles are now mainly talking about the WNV. So maybe it had nothing to do with RMSF.
I'm sorry if my post came across as blaming the doctors. That really wasn't my intent - just frustration and identification with the family and their situation.
Posts: 40 | From Pasadena | Registered: Jun 2006
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