NurseWeek

Rare illness strikes cluster of children

By Tonie Auer
August 20, 2000


	You've read the article. Now tell us what you think. Related Sites Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Texas Department of Health

Dallas. Disease-tracking specialists from the CDC are assisting state and local health department officials in the investigation of a cluster of cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare but severe illness that has stricken five children in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since June.

Health officials have found no source for the infection, said Doug McBride, spokesman for the Texas Department of Health.

An expanded investigation uncovered 38 cases of severe or bloody diarrhea, which can precede HUS.

The illness damages red blood cells and can cause kidney damage or failure, and is preceded by intestinal infections typically caused by E. coli, which is sometimes transmitted by undercooked hamburgers, said Mark Shelton, MD, a pediatrician and medical director of pediatric infectious diseases at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

HUS symptoms run a broad spectrum, from mild stomach cramps and diarrhea to renal failure and death, Shelton said although most children recover.

Treatment typically involves hydration and, occasionally, platelet transfusion and dialysis, he said.

Last year, Texas reported 18 cases of HUS. Officials became concerned because the five cases were clustered in a region in a short amount of time, McBride said.