6-Year-Old Dies Of Rare Flu Complication In Cleveland: What Parents Need To Know

CLEVELAND, OH — A 6-year-old Rocky River girl who was hospitalized after she was diagnosed with the flu died Thursday of a rare complication of the seasonal illness, her family said. Eva Harris was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital with a fever of 105 degrees on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The girl died of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which the National Multiple Sclerosis Society says is “a brief but intense attack of inflammation (swelling) in the brain and spinal cord and occasionally the optic nerves that damages the brain’s myelin (the white coating of nerve fibers).” It’s more likely to affect children than adults, and the symptoms of ADEM mimic multiple sclerosis.

The Golden Primary school kindergartner developed the neurological disease as a result of a viral infection, the girl’s parents, Jimsey Carey and Alex Harris, said in a statement released by the Cleveland Clinic, according to media reports.

Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s, told WKYC-TV that ADEM “is basically the body attacking itself.”

“You get an infection, it’s usually a virus that provokes a response from the body that causes it to attack the brain,” he said.

Though rare, physicians at University Hospitals see a few cases a year. Most are treatable; ADEM is not contagious; and it is not caused by the the seasonal flu vaccine, he said.

“The present vaccinations that we give do not have an association with ADEM,” Wiznitzer told WKYC. “In fact, we know the diseases those vaccines protect you against ... are the ones that can cause this bad inflammation of the brain, swelling and inflammation of the brain. The vaccine would actually protect you against that.”

The Cuyahoga County Department of Health said Eva’s is the first pediatric flu-related death in the county this year and the third in the state.

Grief counseling services will be made available to Eva’s classmates and other students at the school, Rocky River Superintendent Michael Shoaf said in a letter to parents sent home with students Friday, Cleveland.com reported. The school principal and counselor plans to visit with all preschool through fifth-grade students at the school on Monday.

In the statement, Eva’s parents wrote:

We are truly humbled by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from the community for our beloved daughter, Eva Harris.
We are deeply saddened to share that Eva has passed away. As her family, we wish to request privacy as we remember and celebrate her amazing life.
On Feb. 7, Eva was admitted to Cleveland Clinic Children’s with a fever of 105 degrees. After undergoing several tests, we learned that she had a viral infection and her body's immune response had also caused damage to her brain. As a result, Eva developed a severe form of a neurological disease called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), or acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC). There are a variety of viruses that can trigger ADEM/ANEC; however, the disease does not appear to be caused by any single infectious agent and Eva's case is extremely rare.
While this is a very difficult time for our family, we are extremely grateful for Eva’s medical team, especially her nurses. We are thankful for all that was done for our daughter during her relatively brief time in the hospital.”

In a social media post, they said they are “truly humbled by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from the community for our beloved daughter,” WJW-TV reported. They urged those who have supported them to “remember her face as her innocence is seen through your own children.”

“Hold your children, love your children, celebrate your children, as they are not ours, they are the Lord’s,” they wrote in the post.

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