Pune: A 10-year-old boy from Shikrapur was recently treated at a city hospital for a rare Salmonella encephalitis infection that triggered serious neurological complications . Salmonella encephalitis is a water- or food-borne infection and is preventable if children are vaccinated against typhoid. In this case, doctors said the boy’s parents likely missed the shot.
Presence of Salmonella in the boy was confirmed through a blood test. The bacteria had entered the brain, causing encephalitis. And while Salmonella infection usually goes away in a few days, doctors said the boy had to be hospitalized.
What started as high fever and episodes of loose motion and vomiting, soon progressed to disorientation, drowsiness, failure to respond, slurred speech and even failure to identify his own parents. He also had a low platelet count, low blood pressure and liver and kidney issues. The boy was first treated by a paediatrician in Shikrapur but when symptoms persisted, he was moved to Pune.
“He was admitted on July 10 in a state of encephalopathy, shock and respiratory distress,” said Dr Sagar Lad, the hospital’s senior paediatric intensivist. “He needed ventilatory support and medication to stabilise blood pressure and fight infection. There were convulsions and extensive pneumonia and abnormal liver enzymes, indicating a complex multi-organ issue involving the brain, liver, heart and blood,” Dr Lad added.
Dr Nasli Icchaporia, the neurologist who led the treatment plan, said.