KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Health experts in East Tennessee are issuing a warning about a mosquito-borne illness, the La Crosse virus. The Knox County Health Department reports at least six cases of the La Crosse virus in the last few months.
Katie Henderson said she spent the last week at East Tennessee Children's Hospital with her daughter, Brynlee Henderson. She noticed something was wrong while on vacation when she said her daughter came to her at around 5 a.m. asking for sunglasses because the lights were too bright.
"At that point, I knew it was probably meningitis. I was scared. And the doctor was great. I know they don't want to do a spinal tap on a kid, but he did it right away. He listened and I'm sure he knew in the back of his head, 'Hey, we've had the mosquito illnesses, let's just go ahead and do this.' And he treated her, and I'm so very thankful that he did it so quickly," said Katie.
She said it's been hard on her family to have her daughter in the hospital.
"She's had good days and bad days. The disorientation, the personality changes, all that's very hard. She's starting to eat again. She's off her IV so she's starting to come back," she said.
She said the family is still waiting for confirmation, but their doctor strongly believes Brynlee has the La Crosse virus.
"She was diagnosed with meningitis. We're waiting on tests from the state, but they're confirming. The doctors and the staff has said that this is all very common for La Crosse, which they've seen a lot in Knoxville,"she said.
The La Crosse Virus is spread through bites from infected mosquitoes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most infected people don't show symptoms. Bu, it said some people develop severe diseases. mainly children under the age of 16.
"What we're most concerned about with La Crosse virus is the development of that neuro-invasive disease, which can cause meningitis or encephalitis-type symptoms. And then of course, the symptoms that can, as a result of having that and that can be longer-term neurologic symptoms, like the development of the seizure disorder or a really a pretty wide range of potential neurologic complications," said Dr. Corinne Tandy, the director of epidemiology at the Knox County Health Department.
She said there are symptoms for parents to look out for in their kids, such as a bad headache or a stiff neck. Children may also be overly confused due to the virus. She said families should try to prevent mosquito bites to prevent infections.
"That is really thinking about wearing long sleeves when you're outside, especially in the evenings. But making sure you use that bug spray, you can wear treated clothes, make sure you have windows or screens on your windows," said Tandy.
Katie said her daughter is a healthy and active kid, so she wants parents to know this virus can impact anyone.
"She's a healthy kid, she's 11 years old. She dances for Elizabeth Williams in Sevierville and she's dancing 3, 4 hours a week. She's gearing up for the Nutcracker. I have a special needs kid. If it can happen to her, and this is the worst illness that's ever shook our family with a special needs kid. It can happen to anybody," said Henderson.
She said parents should make sure they take their child's symptoms seriously.
"I think it is very important, especially with the light sensitivity, the neck stiffness. If they have a fever and Tylenol and Motrin is not making it go down much or if they're disoriented, any of those — I would definitely err on the side of caution and take them in and get them checked and have a good look because it is very scary," said Henderson.