Fatal bacteria hits third R.I. student By Staff and wire reports Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - Updated: 01:26 AM EST
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Health officials say a third student appears to have suffered from the same bacterial infection that killed a Warwick boy last month.
Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have concluded that it's ``probable'' that encephalitis caused by mycoplasma bacteria sickened a student at the John F. Deering Middle School in West Warwick last month.
The female student was hospitalized with the illness last month, but has recovered. Dylan Gleavey, a second-grade student at Warwick's Greenwood Elementary School, died last month.
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Melanie Reber
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Thank you for sharing this information...poor dear child.
Mycoplasma has many strains, and of those...many are tickborne.
My best, Melanie
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kelmo
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When I read that it really angers me. My daughter testes positive for mycoplasma pneumonia (as many of you all have,as well).
The doctor told us after two rounds of doxy that it was redidulous to treat her any more, that even giving her the antibiotic was rediculous as it goes away by itself.
Every specialist we went to said the same thing.
I hate them.
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Melanie Reber
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Warwick boy succumbs to encephalitis 02:18 PM EST on Thursday, December 28, 2006 By Cynthia Needham
Journal Staff Writer
WARWICK -- A 7-year-old boy whose parents called him their ``superhero'' was buried yesterday, five days after dying of encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, at Hasbro Children's Hospital.
Dylan Gleavey was one of two second graders from Warwick's Greenwood Elementary School to contract a neurological virus this month. State health officials are trying to determine if the two cases are related.
As Dylan's condition worsened in mid-December, his classmate was admitted to Hasbro with viral meningitis. She has since recovered.
Digital Extra View, sign a sympathy guestbook for Dylan Gleavey
Hearing about the illnesses, anxious Greenwood parents met with state health officials last week to find out more.
``We are as concerned as the parents, quite honestly. Right now we don't know what to tell parents except yes, there are two kids with neurological infections, but we don't have the lab [reports] to tell us if they are connected,'' the state's chief epidemiologist, Dr. Utpala Bandy, said yesterday. ``We are actively investigating the cases. I wish we had the answers, but right now we don't. This investigation is not over.''
On the other hand, Bandy and other state officials emphasize that they do not believe there is any public health threat.
``We're feeling OK because we're not seeing a third, fourth and fifth case. It's been a month [since the two were diagnosed]. If you had an outbreak, others would have gotten it already,'' Bandy said.
With just one pediatric hospital in Rhode Island, illnesses such as these are easier to track here than in other states, she said. The state has ruled out both mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis and rabies as the cause of Dylan Gleavey's illness. Now they are trying to determine whether the same organism caused the illness in each child. Those tests will likely take several more weeks, Bandy said. Two doctors from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are here helping with the state's investigation.
At last week's meeting with Greenwood parents, Bandy said she explained that encephalitis and viral meningitis are ``uncommon complications of very common viruses.''
Each condition is a somewhat general term used to describe a swelling in the area of the brain.
Meningitis is a swelling of the tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord, while encephalitis, the more serious of the two, is an inflammation of the brain itself. Often, people who suffer from encephalitis will experience some meningitis, or swelling of surrounding tissues, though meningitis sufferers might never experience encephalitis, Bandy explained.
Telltale signs of both illnesses include sudden fever, stiff neck, confusion and sometimes seizures.
Rhode Island sees 300 to 400 cases of viral meningitis a year, compared with just one or two cases of encephalitis, according to health department statistics.
Many children -- and adults -- can be exposed to viral meningitis and not develop symptoms any more serious than a runny nose. Occasionally, people who have a problem with their immune system or a predisposition to the condition can develop more serious symptoms, Bandy said. (Bacterial meningitis is a more serious and rarer version of the condition and is more likely to lead to death.)
The second-grade classroom at Greenwood was cleaned with bleach before the meeting with parents. Health officials say the school is safe for the children's return next week.
School Supt. Robert J. Shapiro said yesterday the School Department will continue to monitor the situation at Greenwood when classes resume.
Bethany Furtado, a School Committee member-elect who once served as president of the school's parent teacher organization, said that although some parents remained ``panicked,'' she thought health officials did a good job explaining the illnesses and dispelling rumors of a health threat.
Inside Dylan Gleavey's house on Cottage Street yesterday, brightly wrapped Christmas presents lay unopened. His parents, Charles and Denise Spoerer, say they can't bear to unwrap them. Both parents still wear blue hospital bracelets affixed to their wrists the day their son was admitted to Hasbro, on Dec. 1.
Earlier that week, Denise Spoerer said Dylan had a cold. She took him to a walk-in clinic where her son, an asthma sufferer, was diagnosed with a serious sinus infection. When Dylan suffered a seizure the next day, Spoerer rushed him to Hasbro, and he was soon diagnosed with viral meningitis, she said.
In mid-December, following what his parents said was a long seizure, doctors diagnosed Dylan with encephalitis and moved him to the intensive care unit. He died last Thursday at 3:51 p.m.
Around the same time Dylan's condition became more serious, the Spoerers said, the second child from Dylan's classroom was admitted to Hasbro with similar symptoms. Citing privacy laws, officials will not identify the second child, but reiterate that she has recovered. Returning from their youngest son's funeral yesterday, Dylan's parents moved from sadness to anger and back to sadness as they talked about his death. They are critical of the School Department's response and of the care Dylan received at the hospital.
``It took two weeks and another child being admitted to the hospital before anyone said anything,'' Denise Spoerer said.
``How can there be two cases in a classroom and they not be related?'' she asked.
Melanie Reber
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WARWICK - While state and federal health workers were handing out antibiotics to students and their families at Greenwood Elementary School on Sunday, several parents questioned whether officials should have acted faster after one student there died of a brain infection and a second was hospitalized with a similar condition last month.
Mayor Scott Avedisian said the families of 600 of the school's approximately 900 students showed up for 3 information sessions at the school Sunday. More sessions will be offered at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
Health investigators want, if participants are willing, to take throat swabs and blood samples to determine how extensively the bacteria mycoplasma spread. People can give blood samples at any East Side Clinical Laboratory in Cranston or Warwick between Tuesday and Friday, he said. Those who fill out health questionnaires are being given free antibiotics for everyone in the student's family. Avedisian said it wasn't known Sunday how many people had taken the medicine, only how many had filled out the paperwork to get it.
The blood samples will be sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said Dr. David R. Gifford, state health director. The results of the blood tests will be sent to the individuals tested and not released publicly. The tests are to help the CDC and the state figure out how widely the bacteria spread and how it affected those who were exposed to it, Gifford said.
The school will be closed for another week, until Jan. 8, as a precaution, Avedisian said. The action comes after the Dec. 21 death of 7-year-old Dylan Gleavey from encephalitis, and the hospitalization of Hannah Leahy, a student in the same class, with meningitis.
As recently as Wednesday, state health officials were saying the two cases did not appear related. But Avedisian said that after test results came in late Friday, showing the same bacteria in Leahy's system as in an unidentified student with walking pneumonia, the state decided to act. Gifford said that decision was reinforced Saturday when officials found four more cases of students with walking pneumonia and the same bacteria.
The information-gathering and antibiotic distribution at the school involved about 30 workers from the state Health Department as well as nurses from the Warwick School Department. Though they appreciated the effort, some parents at Sunday's sessions said they wondered why it hadn't happened sooner.
Charles J. Spoerer, the father of Dylan Gleavey, walked out of the 10 a.m. session in the school cafeteria after less than 10 minutes and paced in the street outside.
"I'm just mad right now," he said. "You guys get to go home with your kids."
He said his son become ill Nov. 29 and was not correctly diagnosed for weeks. Spoerer said the state should have acted once his son was diagnosed with encephalitis, instead of waiting another week or more for other test results.
"We don't hear how come a letter was not sent out," he said. "Does that make any sense?"
Christine Hathaway, another parent who was at the 10 a.m. briefing Sunday, said the session was "heated" at times. She headed home with the health questionnaires the state and federal officials asked participants to fill out before getting their antibiotics.
"I didn't realize the link with that bacteria," she said. "That makes me run on the side of taking the antibiotics."
Gale Aguiar attended with her 5-year-old daughter. She said some parents at the 10 a.m. session were disappointed that state health officials didn't apologize for not acting sooner. She said several parents were upset that health officials had played down the situation at Greenwood Elementary last week, and now were handing out medicine and asking for blood samples.
"We would have been happy to hear, 'We're not sure,' " she said of last week's pronouncements, "the honest truth."
Donna Bianchi said she had kept her children home from school after hearing about Dylan's death and was pleased by the response of health officials.
"I am so happy, really thrilled, that they did this," she said.
Gifford said part of the dilemma was that the Health Department didn't know until Friday what was causing the illnesses. And until investigators knew the cause, he said, they couldn't prescribe the correct medicine.
Initially, the Health Department thought it was dealing with rare but isolated cases of encephalitis and meningitis in the same building. The cause of Dylan's encephalitis was not known, Gifford said.
The breakthrough came when they found the same bacteria in Leahy's body as in the unidentified walking pneumonia case, Gifford said. Since then, four more walking pneumonia cases with the same bacteria -- mycoplasma -- have been found, he said, and health officials are assuming it caused Dylan's encephalitis.
Gifford said he understood parents' desire for faster action, but said his department couldn't act until it had reliable information that the same strain was causing the illnesses at the school.
"Every parent wants us to act as fast as possible." Gifford said. "If that was fast enough, it's up to them to decide."
The solemn business of collecting data and medicine went on in a neighborhood mourning the death of a 7-year-old and yet decorated for the holiday season. Many children who were brought to the sessions clutched American Girl dolls or rode shiny new bicycles.
Gifford said the school was safe for students and parents to enter.
Mycoplasma dies once it leaves the human body, Gifford said. Regular cleaning of the school and students' bodies will be an adequate defense, he said.
Infection is spread by sneezing or coughing in the face of another person.
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That is heart breaking Posts: 240 | From MA | Registered: Nov 2006
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Foggy
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The question is: could this have been tick-bourne?
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Melanie Reber
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RI is highly endemic!
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kelmo
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I'm thinking mosquito. We need to think beyond ticks. Out west we are seeing more mosquito born illnesses.
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Melanie Reber
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Mycoplasmas are sensitive to various antibiotics like the tetracyclines, macrolides, and the quinolones, but are resistant to antibiotics that specifically inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis, like the penicillins (Razin, 1996).
If detected early, the diseases associated with invasive mycoplasmal infections are treatable with long cycles of high-dose antibiotics. (Hayes, Foo, Kotani, Wear & Lo, 1993; Hannan, 1995; Poulin, Perkins & Kundsin, 1994) Since the organism is a slow-growing, intracellular type with a long life cycle, several long-term courses of antibiotics may be necessary.
The infection may need to be treated for several months or years. If a person is taking antibiotics, the testing will not detect the presence of Mycoplasma in the blood.
And, if a person has been taking antibiotics, they must wait for 2-3 months after stopping the antibiotics for the test to be accurate (Dudley & Dudley, 2003).
As yet, it is not known if antibiotics are a cure for mycoplasma infections. Mycoplasma has the ability to enter any cell and alter itself, changing its cellular makeup with every cell division.
This may make it impossible for readily-available antibiotics to clear the body of this organism.
The recommended treatment appears to cause the organism to diminish or go dormant. Once the natural killer cells of the immune system are free of the infection, they can become healthier and keep the mycoplasma under control.
This may take several months or years of antibiotic treatment to accomplish. During this time, it is important to not lower the dose or stop taking the antibiotic too early, for a relapse is certain.
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Melanie Reber
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``What are the causes and risks of the condition? Most cases of encephalitis are caused by a viral infection of the brain tissue; however, there are numerous potential causes. Selected viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and non-infectious causes of encephalitis include: Viruses transmitted by a mosquito bite, such as:''
* Mycoplasma ( usually causes "walking" pneumonia )
posted
Humanbeing and Melanie, I have tested positive for mycoplasma, the only coinfection I've tested positive for so far. I have tested WB positive through IgeneX and MDL.
My LLMD's office called me with the result of my last testing with this information. I asked "What is the treatment for Mycoplasma?" and
the reply was of course "Antibiotics." So if I'm not being treated with ABX yet, does this mean I am risking that the mycoplasma could cause a
serious infection? Just a bit worried here. My tests also showed an immune system on hyperdrive (my LLMD's word.) He said I was ready to crash
and suggested I take immune boosters and stay out of hospitals, doctor's offices and large crowds. Makes me feel REAL secure.
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My understanding of mycoplasma infection is that it usually is found in the brain, the heart or the lungs. Can't document that, just remember it
from materials I researched. I have symptoms of all three organs which may or may not be because of mycoplasma. I have short-term memory loss,
many cognitive problems, sensory overload problems, and so on. I have tachycardia of the heart. I have difficulty with wheezing and I
have much air hunger. I take deep breathes but do not feel I am getting enough oxygen. I recently had two sleep studies which found I had
mild to moderate apnea and not enough oxygen getting to my lungs. So take your pick. Just don't know and there's the rub. Makes for an
anxiety-producing situation. My PCP has not been told of this infection by me but should have received my test results from my LLMD. I have
also tested positive twice with the WB, from IgeneX and MDL. MDL was the lab reporting the mycoplasma. I am generally very weak, have
difficulties standing in one place and feel dizzy much of the time. I have sweats and chills. I have low body temp and fast pulse. I have attributed this with Lyme BB and not coinfections.
I also am hypothyroid, with high wt. gain, loss of much hair, fatigue and confusion. My endocrinologist keeps increasing the Synthroid I
take but my symptoms remain and even the restrictive lab values show my thyroid levels to be low. I was also tested for T3 (low) and T4.
Just another thing is how I see it, but the article about the young boy with mycoplasma did concern me.
Does this tell you anything?
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Melanie Reber
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Could you have some overlapping Babesia too?
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Melanie, I am almost certain I have babesia and bart also. I have read up on the symptoms and I have most of them. Just tired of making all the lists of all the symptoms and it seems like I get some
new ones every week or so. I was actually surprised at the positive test for Mycoplasma. I see my LLMD next week and will ask more questions
about what type, etc. I read on Dr. C's website in MO about his protocol ASSUMING coinfections and treating as if a person has them instead of
testing over and over again. I really like that approach and makes the most sense to me. May be paying that dear doc a little visit. Thanks so
much for caring.
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Melanie Reber
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Oh Janet,
Multiple co-infections certainly do complicate the picture and each exacerbates the other. I have read time and again that you should try to go after the babs first. Many also treat LD at the same time. The treatment is tuff, but the benefits are well worth it.
Just remember to go slow...my new motto.
I am so pleased that you will be seeing doc C I know it has been difficult losing our good doc, but there are always ways to work around these obstacles...and you are doing great!
Take good care, Melanie
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Melanie, Don't have appt. with Dr. C yet but after next week and seeing current LLMD, will make a decision. Learning about this Mycoplasma thing
makes me feel even more strongly that I shouldn't wait to get on some ABX. And according to the site I visited (Mycoplasma Support Home) it is
easily transmitted. My whole family could have it, including the young boys I am concerned about. I just love this place where everyone
contributes their knowledge and more importantly, their compassion. Thanks to all!
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I can tell you it chills me to the bone. So I went on to read about Dr. Nicholson's research about mycoplasma's and couldn't believe what I was reading.
Does any one here know the response Congressman's Jim Turner gave Ms. Brown????
How is Ms. Brown's son now???
Take care Janet, Stella Marie
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My LLMD has been prohibited from treating Lyme and coinfections with ABX unless there is a CDC positive test. This man has endured the loss
of a large amount of his patients and still has an attitude that is positive and he cares so very much about his patients.
He has applied for a research grant that would allow him to use his protocol with ABX. I see him next week and will find out if he has been
awarded the grant. If not, I face having to change LLMD. I had thought that I would continue to see my LLMD because of his compassion and knowledge base and that I could wait until he is
able to once again prescribe ABX. However, the mycoplasma infection scares the heck out of me after reading what I have about it and realizing
that I have all of the symptoms and they are getting worse. I have a machine a bit like the Rife that is mentioned often here. I have the
ability to program it to attack any organism known to man, plus detoxes. I am afraid to use it now because I don't know what would happen with
the mycoplasma dieoff. I am not as sick as a lot of people posting here but am losing ground rather quickly. I will know more after next week's visit and I will post what I find out.
Thanks so much for your response and concern!
Janet
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Mathias
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Don't wait! You need to start antibiotics right away. I was misdiagnosed for a year with neurological complications and was sick with weird symptoms for who knows how many years prior from a mycoplasma fermentans infection. Now its 2 1/2 years straight on antibiotics for it and I still have symptoms.
You need to know the species of mycoplasma that you are infected with to get proper treatment. Some species are resistant to certain antibiotics that other species are susceptible to. For example, m. pneumoniae is susceptible to Zithromax and Biaxin but m. fermentans is resistant to both. Mycoplasma is particularly susceptible to floroquinlones.
Don't mess around with a mycoplasma infection and if your LLMD isn't willing to treat you for it or underestimates the importance of it, get a new one.
Mycoplasma is more than just "walking pneumonia".
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