Mystery illness claims the life of 2 area teens, a third is critical

[onestepforward]

http://www.khou.com/news/health/Mystery-Illness-Claims-Two-Teens-Third-is-Critical-206702811.html

HOUSTON -- A hospital spokeswoman at Texas Children's in Houston said in a written statement that a 17-year-old boy in their facility is not believed, by them, to be connected two cases in which area teens died from a mystery illness.

But the lead doctor in charge of Montgomery County's Health Department said all of the teens have similar symptoms.

"Like fever, cough, like respiratory failure, pneumonia, seizures," said Dr. Syed Ibrahim, MD, MPH. "In the child who's admitted at Texas Children's Hospital now, he's having liver enlargment and spleen enlargment."

The hospital confirmed that the teen is in critical condition.

Two teenagers, one from Montgomery County and one from Liberty County, have died from an illness health experts have not been able to diagnose.
-snip-

This is going on in my neck of the woods. The girl who died went to a high school down the street from me. She was a healthy, robust athlete.

What the heck is going on? It's one big mystery right now.

[kestrel91316]

1. Probably something that would be easily diagnosed by

a functioning Department of Public Health. But that would be socialism and we can't have THAT.

Somebody needs to consult with CDC. But this is TX, and the CDC is part of that eeevvvviiiiillllll big gubmint.

[onestepforward]

2. What makes this spooky for me

is that at least 2 of the teens were at Texas Children's Hospital in the medical center in Houston. There's a slew of very experienced tropical medicine doctors and other experts in the medical center. I have read that a sample of the deceased girl is being sent to the CDC.

[kestrel91316]

3. They probably forgot to test for malaria or something "exotic"

that they are assuming people in nice, clean, white Texas can't get.

[LeftInTX]

4. We're not that backward around here

West Nile is an issue around here. I don't think malaria has been in the US for awhile. Chagas is a possibility.

Houston is < 50 percent Anglo

[onestepforward]

5. Thank you for mentioning Chagas.

I wasn't familiar with that disease, so I did a quick look-up. That might be a possibility or something similar to it.

[kestrel91316]

8. The reported symptoms don't fit with Chagas. But the splenomegaly reeks of

SOME weird parasite........

[onestepforward]

9. Here's another article with a little more information,

but I can't vouch for the source:

http://main.montgomerycountypolicereporter.com/?p=66546

[newfie11]

6. What about corexit in the gulf

Or chemical pollution.
I have been gone from that area for a long time but there used to be lots of chemical plants spewing stinky stuff.
When living in Freeport I had chronic swollen lymph nodes the entire time.
They went Back to normal when I moved back to Albuquerque.

[onestepforward]

7. I don't think it was Corexit,

but I know it was a big problem in Louisiana. Pollution is also a problem, but the area the kids where from is the far north from the chemical plants along the Gulf.

I'm glad you're doing better in Albuquerque. I've been looking into moving there myself for a few years now

[newfie11]

10. I was in Albuquerque many years ago

I am now near Gering NE.

Don't know what Albuquerque is like now.