H1N1 Can Lead to Encephalitis in Kids

(CBS)  Children are among those hit hard in the H1N1 outbreak. And now, health officials are keeping an eye on a potentially deadly complication. CBS News correspondent Karen Brown reports on how scary it can be when a child comes down with H1N1 and encephalitis.

Anthony Turachak's parents are glued to his side at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. His mother, Angie Turachak, says she hasn't left him since they got there. They almost lost their four-year-old when H1N1 led to encephalitis, a critical brain infection.

"It was the like the worst thing you could think of," said Jeff Turachak, Anthony's father. ""Time comes like this, and you just don't know what to do. Here you are helpless."

After a few days of fever, Anthony's mom brought him to the emergency room. Within the hour, they were in the intensive care unit.

"They did the CAT scan and saw the inflammation on his brain," said Angie.

Doctors at the Children's Hospital say in the last six weeks they've seen five cases of H1N1 encephalitis. The patients had flu symptoms but also showed signs of problems in their central nervous systems, like seizures, changes in their mental status and even personality changes.

CBSNews.com Special Report: H1N1 Virus

"This is part of the emerging disease of H1N1 that we need to better understand," said Dr. Erika Fink.

After a handful of similar pediatric cases in Texas this spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report about a potential connection between H1N1 and encephalitis. It is now monitoring for cases nationwide.

But Anthony's prognosis is good.

"He is getting better and we are happy he's still here," said Angie.

But they 're not leaving his side until he's well enough to play with his toys again.

[bann65]

HEY OBLAMA, WHERE are the vaccines? And you want us to get your healthcare?? hahahahahahaha.

[roach9703]

Watch out, we might get a vaccine scarcity tax!

[sandy19731]

And, there are still many, many parents out there who won't get their children vaccinated because they are afraid of the vaccine.

Would probably let them get Polio, too.

[anti-h1N1]

Pediatric Flu Deaths by Year Made WORSE by Flu Vaccine

1999 -- - 29 deaths
2000 -- - 19 deaths
2001 -- - 13 deaths
2002 -- - 12 deaths
2003 -- - 90 deaths (Year of mass vaccinations of children under age 5 years)
2006 -- 78 deaths
2007 -- - 88 deaths
2008 ? 116 deaths (40.9% vaccinated at age 6 months to 23 months)
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/03/What-We-Have-Learned-About-the-Great-Swine-Flu-Pandemic.aspx
Check it out.
I'm not anti-vaccination. But, yes, I am afraid of this vaccine.

[erasmus111]

You have more chance of complications and dying of H1N1 than you do of getting it from the vaccine.

[us_1776]

It's not just children who are getting these symptoms. When I had H1N1 a couple weeks ago it also gave me meningitis symptoms - very stiff neck, and my jaw would hardly open, and a huge headache. And I didn't know what to make of these symptoms because I had not seen them reported before in conjunction with H1N1. After two weeks I finally recovered but this was a very serious flu for me personally.

[thesevenveils]

Water so bad it contaminated the pigs excrement?!!!
And this is the same water the locals drink?
That is some Blackwater.

[wyodutch]

H1N1 is a never-before-seen combination of human and animal flu viruses. The two most important genes - the ones that make the hemagglutinin and nuuraminidase - both originated in pigs.
.
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Where did the H1N1 flu come from? Residents of the Mexican town where the first case was diagnosed say that a US-owned factory just a few miles down the road, which produces 950,000 pigs a year, is to blame.
.
The North American factory was set up in the Valle de Perote in 1994. A little under ten years after its construction, the communities that live around the 'Granjas Carroll' factory found out that the company had been involved in a massive lawsuit for contamination and ensuing cover-up in their own land... Virginia, in the US. In light of their findings, they began to question the factory's link to the contamination of the local water source and the high number of illnesses in the area, which covers 30 thousand people. Despite protests and support from human rights groups, nothing was done, because the North American company enjoys support from the federal and regional authorities, who argued that the company was so technologically advanced it couldn't possibly be contaminating the area. They didn't mention that the pigs were unfit from excessive force feeding and drinking from a water source that contained their own blood and excrement.