MRSA Strikes Siouxland Toddler

Link: News::MRSA Strikes Siouxland Toddler.

Meet one-year-old Isabella Nilles. She's happy and healthy now, but just a couple of months ago she was battling MRSA. It was just before Christmas and Isabella developed her first diaper rash. Mom and Dad, Amy and Chris, didn't think much of it. Isabella was teething and running a low-grade fever. So the diaper rash didn't seem alarming... but, Amy Nilles says, "Over a couple of days, there was one spot on her diaper rash that looked like it was getting worse." Christmas Eve Isabella's temperature climbed prompting a trip to the hospital. By they time they got there... she had a 104 degree fever. And that little spot that kept getting worse had dramatically grown in just a couple of days. Amy says, "The spot on her bottom had gone from about the size of a quarter to all the way up to her bikini line all the way down her bottom. I mean her skin was red. It was inflamed. It was hard." Doctors did cultures and other tests to figure out what was... but Isabella and her parents were sent home. Two days later they found out it was MRSA. Amy says, "It was bad. It was really, really scary. She could die." Isabella spent 8 days in the hospital. Doctors had to lance the sore to drain it, and give her IV antibiotics. When she went home, more antibiotics for a month. Where did a one-year-old pick up such a dangerous virus? Her daycare. The provider was unaware another child was a carrier and had an open wound.