ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Development of neurological complications of varicella zoster virus reactivation is relatively uncommon, particularly in an immunocompetent child. CASE PRESENTATION: An 11-year-old Asian girl presented with headache and skin rash on her left chest. She was diagnosed with meningitis, and herpes zoster was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction using cerebrospinal fluid. Acyclovir was administered intravenously. Given the favorable evolution of the clinical course, she was discharged from the hospital on day 8 of her illness. She had no apparent sequelae or comorbidities at the time of the 6-week follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological complications such as meningitis due to varicella zoster virus reactivation are uncommon, especially in an immunocompetent child; no specific immune deficiency was identified in our patient. We conclude that, although rare, varicella zoster virus should be recognized as a potential cause of viral meningitis in immunocompetent children.
Subject(s)
Acyclovir/administration & dosage , Cerebrospinal Fluid/virology , Herpes Zoster , Herpesvirus 3, Human/isolation & purification , Meningitis, Viral , Administration, Intravenous , Antiviral Agents , Child , Exanthema/diagnosis , Exanthema/etiology , Female , Headache/diagnosis , Headache/etiology , Herpes Zoster/complications , Herpes Zoster/diagnosis , Herpes Zoster/drug therapy , Herpes Zoster/physiopathology , Humans , Immunocompetence , Meningitis, Viral/diagnosis , Meningitis, Viral/drug therapy , Meningitis, Viral/etiology , Meningitis, Viral/physiopathology , Treatment OutcomeSubject(s)
Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Bacterial Proteins/isolation & purification , Cross Infection/microbiology , Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics , Penicillin-Binding Proteins/genetics , Penicillin-Binding Proteins/isolation & purification , Staphylococcus aureus/genetics , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bacterial Proteins/drug effects , Cross Infection/drug therapy , Disease Outbreaks , Hospitals, Pediatric , Humans , Japan , Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification , Penicillin-Binding Proteins/drug effects , Penicillins/therapeutic use , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
In the spring of 2015, we experienced a cluster of 4 sporadic cases of yersiniosis in children in Nagano prefecture, a rural area of Japan. Two patients developed appendicitis-like episodes; one had acute gastroenteritis, and the other had bacteremia associated with liver abscess. The causative agent of these infections was Yersinia enterocolitica serogroup O:8. None of the patients had an underlying illness, and all have recovered completely. The patients were neither socially nor geographically related to each other. These 4 consecutive cases suggest that Y. enterocolitica O:8 has spread substantially in the middle part of Japan, and that this virulent strain might be more common than previously reported in our country.
