Officials Identify Fatal 'Mystery Illness'

nbc5i.com ^ | August 21, 2002 | Staff Writer

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

IRVING, Texas -- State health officials Wednesday identified the illness that killed a 13-year-old Irving girl and left her 15-year-old brother in a coma.

According to officials, an illness known as "walking pneumonia" is responsible for killing Rachel Johnson (left) and sickening her brother, Mathew (right).

Officials also confirmed that the teens' three other siblings, who had been hospitalized as a precautionary measure, also have the illness and are being treated.

Officials said that the children's parents were not ill.

However, despite their findings, health officials said they don't know why both children had such sudden and severe reactions to the illness.

According to the family's pastor, Dr. Steve Nutter, officials are looking into other factors that may have contributed to the severity of teens' illness.

Meanwhile, the Health Department has lifted the quarantine it had previously placed on the family's house before the illness was identified.

[Whey]

What a load of hog wash. I have been a nurse too long to fall for this one. Walking pneumonia is uncomfortable but it will not kill you in two days. I say stayed tuned on this one. Talked to every Doc and Nurse I know today. We are all in agreement. It is something else and what ever it is, it is BAD.

[TaxRelief]

Should this one be on the SARS list, too?

[Nov3]

?????????

[TaxRelief]

Of all the old cases, these two strike me as the most unusual.