Californians: Whats the caracter of your seasonal child infectious desease panorama ?

[livi]

The reason I ask is that a patient of mine, a six year old boy with a moderately severe immune deficiency, is moving with his family to Los Angeles. Here in Sweden I have had him on prophylactic antibiotics during the winter seasons due to a very heavy load of infections in our cold climate. Summers he is typically rather well even without AB.

I am not sure what I should recommend the family as I assume your warmer climate (for several reasons) may not carry the same volume of epidemic airway infections on a seasonal basis.

The question in short hence - do you have a lot more infections during the winter period as compared to the summer ?

I will of course investigate the matter with colleagues in US, but you guys are such a great information center, I thought I would get your advice too.

Thanks!

[livi]

Thanks! I kind of expected that.

Honestly, it would have been too unfair if you had both the warm, beautiful climate AND less infections.

[TerryH]

I've always thought that being confined in enclosed areas brought on more infections. Those that live in cold climates tend to spend more time indoors, therefore more susceptible to catching something from others.

Flying during cold/flu season with half the plane coughing makes me want to parachute out at the next rest stop.

[livi]

The reason for my question was that I presumed that your climate made it possible for children to spend equal amounts of time outside during the year in pre-schools etc. Thereby making the infectious panorama less seasonal and more homogeneous all year round.

[Noah930]

I'd agree with Wayne. People seem to get sick just as much during the SoCal wintertime as they do the much harsher winter in New England.

[TerryH]

I've never felt there was a cold season in Socal. I get just as many colds in the summer as the winter. But now in my advanced years, I think I'm immune to most of the old colds and just get the new ones now so illness is less frequent, but more severe when it arrives. AAAAACHOOO!

[Tobra]

California has some specific problems indigineous to the area.

Try google Tularemia, or Tulare Valley Fever.

There are issues with fungal infections, that manifest a lot in summer months when the spores travel with the wind. In the LA area there is a surprisingly large population with tuberculosis, due to the large number of third world immigrants who brought it with them.

Is it a Cystic Fibrosis kid or something? If he has immune compromise issues, he is going to need an ID guy who is local and familiar with the problems in the area.

[livi]

Thanks Tobra. Good info.

The boy is not severely compromised. No CF. Just a minor/moderate hypogammaglobulinemia but he is very susceptible and seems to catch most bugs that comes within a miles distance. He does not get severely sick however. This is were the antibiotics comes in. Despite the fact that most airway infections are viral, most children with his condition on this regime seem to stay much more healthy. Even less common colds - however that works..

[artplumber]

Markus,
My impression is that there is less fluctuation in inpts in socal based on seasonal infxns than seen in the more northern climes. This may be due to fewer superinfections, or a different age population, etc I'm not sure. I wouldn't say that this effect is due necessarily to fewer URI's.

In the LA basin, there's little to worry about for exotic infxns. Cocci (valley fever) is a central CA phenomenon. Francisella tularensis (the agent of Tularemia) is not a classical regional prob for CA, although I suppose it could exist.

[Tobra]

Depends on what time of year and which way the wind is blowing, I suppose the grapevine keeps that central valley stuff from reaching LA. Won't keep that lettuce picker from bringing it back with him though.

I am a firm believer in close proximity to too many of the wrong people school of thought on why you get sick. Warmer, to a point, means you are shut in with climate control going. I had a lot of neighbors who worked for the airlines in Texas, they were sick all the time it seemed like. I say from being shut up in an aluminum cylinder with too many people.

In the LA basin I would be more concerned about air quality, great place for temp inversions, put a lid on that smog and breath it for a while. That will knock that boy right on his butt on a hot summer day.

Climate is pretty mild for the most part out here I would say. Have not lived in SoCal for a long time.

Sorry, mixed up mycosis, Coccidio and Francisella. Tularensis refers to Tulare County in Cali, indiginous to the area, hence the name.

Saw all sorts of exotic stuff at SF General as a student, same in LA, according to classmates who did their 4th year there, tell the kid to stay the hell away from the ER, whatever he does

[artplumber]

Originally posted by Tobra
Saw all sorts of exotic stuff at SF General as a student, same in LA, according to classmates who did their 4th year there, tell the kid to stay the hell away from the ER, whatever he does

I did my residency in LA. Exotics come from the exotic places. The kid prob won't see anything unusual - really not a big deal IMO.

EDIT: I can't say that I know tularensis relating to Tulare co. But the classic board question is rabbit fever in Arkansas/Missouri.

[livi]

Thanks you for your input. Very useful. Amazing as always how versatile the knowledge is on this piston head forum.

Now, were can I by cheap stolen diamonds ?