A 9-year-old boy presents to the Emergency Department with fever, headache, sore throat, and vomiting. He recently arrived from Africa with his parents. He shows abnormal reflexes,... A 9-year-old boy presents to the Emergency Department with fever, headache, sore throat, and vomiting. He recently arrived from Africa with his parents. He shows abnormal reflexes, stiff neck, and difficulty lifting his head and legs. Laboratory tests show a clear CSF with lymphocytosis, normal glucose level, and normal protein level. Which organism is most likely responsible for his illness?
Understand the Problem
The question describes a case scenario involving a 9-year-old boy presenting with specific symptoms and laboratory results. It asks which organism is most likely responsible for his illness based on the provided information.
Answer
Poliovirus.
The final answer is Poliovirus.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is Poliovirus.
More Information
The symptoms described, including fever, headache, sore throat, vomiting, and neurological signs like a stiff neck and difficulty in lifting head and legs, along with clear CSF showing lymphocytosis, are consistent with a poliovirus infection, a viral cause of aseptic meningitis.
Tips
Common mistakes include not correlating symptoms like muscle weakness and stiff neck with poliovirus or confusing it with bacterial infections, which would show different CSF findings.
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