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A 9-year-old Californian boy recently died from a cold-related virus, an extremely rare event that puzzled his doctors and family, according to a new report.
Tristan Ang, soon to be in grade four, from Milpitas, got sick last month and there was no reason to alarm at first, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
But his symptoms quickly worsened, leaving him confused, forgetful and suffering from a headache, according to the report. He died on June 28th.
"I do not know why it happened to him," Mark Ang, Tristan's father, told the newspaper. "It was just this grim accident. It may be that God really wanted it up there.
Tristan had been tested positive for adenovirus – most commonly associated with colds – just before his death, according to the report. Adenovirus is a family of viruses composed of more than 50 strains and the identity of the strain with which it has been infected has not been clearly determined, said the point of sale.
Adenoviruses are most often responsible for sore throat, runny nose and cough, and are thought to cause up to 10% of colds. They are also known to cause conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and some strains can cause diarrhea, according to the report.
Almost all children have been infected with at least one strain of the virus by the time they reach Tristan's age – and once infected, a person will become immune to that particular strain, the official said. But because there are so many strains, people can be infected many times.
More serious diseases, including pneumonia – and in rare cases, meningitis or encephalitis – infections of the brain or spinal cord, can also develop from certain strains. But almost all fatal cases occur in those with weakened immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients.
Even in this case, death comes out of the ordinary, according to the report.
"These are normal childhood infections. It's almost shocking to see someone die of this disease, "said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, head of pediatric infectious diseases at Stanford Health Care, at the San Francisco Chronicle. She did not know Tristan's case.
Last year, 11 children died of an advenovirus in a rehabilitation center in New Jersey. All had an extremely fragile immune system.
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