The only reason I mention typhus, which is more common in the Southwest & West parts of the US (but can occur anywhere) is that you get just this sort of picture: high fever, usually initially diagnosed as 'viral illness', faint red rash over the torso, continuing high fever, low white blood cell count (did they draw one of those at the ED, when you were there?), cough, muscle aches and fatigue and just-plain-not-feeling-right.
Cat-fleas can carry typhus, although it's more commonly found on rat-fleas.
Doxycycline is the medicine of choice, and it's used empirically when typhus is suspected: that means a blood draw to confirm, and while you wait for the test to come back, antibiotics to see if they work.
Which may sound cavalier, but it takes 2-3 weeks for the test to come back, and who wants to have a febrile kid for 2-3 weeks? (Speaking as a mother, NOT ME!)
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pegkerr![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Possibility.
Date: 2004-08-25 06:40 am (UTC)Y'all have cats?
Re: A possibility
Date: 2004-08-25 07:23 am (UTC)Re: A possibility
Date: 2004-08-25 07:35 am (UTC)Cat-fleas can carry typhus, although it's more commonly found on rat-fleas.
Doxycycline is the medicine of choice, and it's used empirically when typhus is suspected: that means a blood draw to confirm, and while you wait for the test to come back, antibiotics to see if they work.
Which may sound cavalier, but it takes 2-3 weeks for the test to come back, and who wants to have a febrile kid for 2-3 weeks? (Speaking as a mother, NOT ME!)