Acute Q fever in children presenting with encephalitis.
We describe the cases of three children with encephalitis associated with Coxiella burnetii infection. Neurologic features ranged from status epilepticus and coma to headache and pseudotumor cerebri syndrome. Patients had good response to antibiotic treatment with doxycycline and recovered fully. Q fever should be included in the differential diagnosis of children with encephalitis, and routine serological testing should be considered, especially in endemic areas.
Child Neurology Unit and Epilepsy Service, Meyer Children's Hospital, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel. s_ravid@rambam.health.gov.il
Sarit
S
Ravid
Eli
E
Shahar
Jacob
J
Genizi
Yael
Y
Schahor
Imad
I
Kassis
D000208:Acute Disease / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D006261:Headache / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011778:Q Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline