Rare virus sickens 14 babies in the Kansas City area, causing all of them to land inside the hospital. Because this rare virus sickens 14 babies and has spread quickly, health authorities in the Kansas City area are now investigating infections which may lead to meningitis and other inflammation.
According to CBS affiliate KCTV5 News, Spokeswoman Aimee Rosenow of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment though this rare virus sickens 14 babies, none of the infants has died. However, all have been hospitalized.
Apparently, the germ in the Rare virus sickens 14 babies incident has been caused by a strain of human parechovirus called HPeV3, reports CBS News. June was the month that the first cases of the infections caused by HPeV3 manifested in local infants, according to The Kansas City Star.
HPeV3 has been reported as cases appearing both in Shawnee Mission Medical Center and Children's Mercy Hospital.
While this rare virus sickens 14 babies, at this point, Spokeswoman Rosenow says it still remains unclear whether the infections in the two hospitals are connected since nine of the infants are from Kansas while the other five are from Missouri.
According to The Inquisitr, it is believed that all infected infants are now in intensive care. Though this rare virus sickens 14 babies and none of them have died, their conditions are still dangerously life-threatening.
The rare virus sickens 14 babies, but fortunately there has been an improvement with at least one of the cases after a very frightening time. According to KSHB Kansas City, one of the infants was given 24 hours to live after being diagnosed with HPeV3.
The report read:
'Katie McClure's son, Sean, was just 5 days old when he suddenly stopped breathing. McClure instructed her older son to call 911. Once Sean arrived to the emergency room at Children's Mercy Hospital, doctors diagnosed Sean with HPeV3. The virus led to meningitis in her son's brain. Days later, doctors told McClure her son wasn't going to make it. He was having seizures constantly and required a feeding tube.'
As of the current moment, The Inquisitr reports that baby Sean is now doing much better, approximately a month after the diagnosis.
The rare virus sickens 14 babies and being one of the babies having faced critical conditions, doctors are worried that Sean has suffered brain damage. On a positive note, the doctors are hopeful that baby Sean isn't going to die anytime soon.
Although the rare virus sickens 14 babies already, doctors are saying that the virus can be caught easily. They say a common breeding ground can be public diaper changing tables.
According to the doctors, surfaces should first be wiped down before using them. It is also important to clean surfaces regularly to kill germs. Hand washing is important as well.
Breastfeeding is an essential tool to protect babies from possible infection as those who are breastfed gain more antibodies, protecting them better against HPeV3.
According to Rosenow, as the rare virus sickens 14 babies, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is now working with the Missouri Health Department and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to determine other possible infections.
In light of the incident of this rare virus sickens 14 babies, a newsletter released by the Children's Mercy Hospital about the virus back 2010 has been referenced by reports.
In it, babies less than 90 days old are said to be more prone to the infections. Symptoms of the virus may include fever, irritability and rash. However, other symptoms such as diarrhea and transient paralysis have been present in 1999 when a 1-year-old child in Japan was also struck by the virus.
The report also said this rare virus can also cause meningitis.
According to experts, this rare virus sickens 14 babies now, but it appears to be a "summer time disease", peaking in the months of July to October.
Rare virus sickens 14 babies and according to KCTV 5, health officials are saying that avoiding it is as easy as practicing hand hygiene, practically the same as what one would do during the cold and flu.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
