3-Year-Old Boy Contracts Rare Tick-Borne Disease from Swimming Pool

Boy Contracts Rare Tick-Borne Disease Powassan virus meningoencephalitis intravenous immunoglobulin Jonny Simoson Jamie Simoson pennsylvania swimming pool Lyme disease tick bites neurological condition U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Aug 03, 11:52 am

A 3-year-old boy who contracted a rare tick-borne disease, after enjoying a day in the swimming pool, is slowly recovering from the effects of Powassan virus.

Jonny Simoson had fun playing at a neighbor's swimming pool during the early days of summer in June. His mother, Jamie Simoson, however, noticed a tick on his right shoulder blade that was nothing more than a pen point's size.

Speaking with the New York Post, Jamie said that she removed the tick easily using a pair of tweezers and assessed that it was not embedded on her son's skin. There were no traces nor marks left behind as well, except for some redness.

Jamie had some experience with tick bites before as her older daughter, Jessica, was diagnosed with Lyme disease three years ago. The mother was confident, however, that the tick she pulled from Jonny's skin was nothing to worry about.

Jonny's health deteriorated

Two weeks later, however, the toddler's daycare center informed the mom that Jonny was feeling unwell, didn't have any appetite, and complained of a headache. Jamie thought that it was unusual for a toddler to have headaches but they were sent home by the pediatrician with some medicines.

But her son's condition soon deteriorated over the next two days. When his fever reached 104 degrees, the family rushed to the emergency room, where he registered an elevated white blood cell count.

Doctors suspected that the child may have bacterial or viral meningitis, which leads to an excess of white blood cells. However, as they still couldn't figure out how to help Jonny, they decided to transfer and admit him to a specialty hospital for kids. He was also starting to become unresponsive so he was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU).

"We were terrified that we might not be coming home with our child," Jamie said, per People.

After five days in the ICU, the doctors finally diagnosed Jonny's condition as meningoencephalitis, neurological condition. The diagnosis gave the family hope as there is a treatment for this condition, intravenous immunoglobulin.

Within hours after the treatment, Jonny asked for pepperoni pizza. The boy was also showing signs of alertness but there were still problems with his cognition. Jonny was in the hospital for 12 days but he was discharged on the condition that he will still continue with a number of therapies because he had poor balance and lost his ability to walk.

Test result shows Powassan virus caused meningoencephalitis

Days later, the family was told that Jonny tested positive for Powassan virus from the tick bite. The case is so rare that there have only been 178 cases recorded in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no specific medication or vaccine for this virus but those who exhibit concerning symptoms will need hospitalization to receive regular medical support.

As the condition is so rare, Jamie opened a Facebook page to raise awareness for this tick-borne disease and to post calls for blood donation. The page will also document his progress to health. Doctors see improvements in his recovery.