Four Children Develop Neurological Symptoms from Swine Flu

Filed under Statistics |

Four children in Dallas with confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu have developed neurological symptoms that are likely due to swelling and inflammation in the brain. Two of the boys developed seizures and the other two developed hallucinations, slowed speech, and difficulty standing.

Experts do not find the results surprising because about 5% of all childhood cases of encephalitis and similar brain problems are caused by seasonal flu.

But the findings do confirm that the novel H1N1 virus can cause such symptoms, although the complications observed in the boys were less severe than those associated with seasonal flu. The CDC recommended that children displaying the symptoms of encephalitis, such as seizures, be tested for the virus and that treatment with the antiviral drug Tamiflu begin immediately.