Authorities have informed that eight children are currently receiving an antibiotic treatment for a deadly oral infection. It started in a kid’s dental clinic in Anaheim and officials claim it could harm over 500 children.
California is facing an infectious disease caused by a bacteria known as Mycobacterial abscesses. Authorities have confirmed the outbreak started in the Children’s Dental Group located in the East Lincon Avenue in Anaheim around May third, and since then over 500 kids have been exposed to it.
All of the eight children that are currently being treated for the infection received a dental procedure called “pulpotomy” culturally known as a “baby root canal” that is used to deal with an infected tooth.
The infection develops into an oral cellulitis that caused the kid’s throats and necks to swell, developing a lump in the throat that in some cases requires surgery but is commonly treated with an extensive antibiotic procedure.
Health officials already informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and opened an investigation to understand the possible harms occurring at the Kid’s dental clinic.
Bacteria outbreak
Disturbed parents have taken their children to the hospitals in the past weeks after the epidemic news were informed to the public. Meanwhile, kid’s with the infection remain under observation by California doctors.
Cellulitis is commonly a skin infection that occurs when a certain bacteria enters the skin and breaks it, causing swelling, pain, redness and depending on the location it could cause other infections.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Children’s Dental Group started receiving notices of the infection last week. Some of the patients had respiratory infections along with the abscess and they all had the baby root canal process in common.
The first case of the infection developed in a three-year-old boy called Gibran, who was given the dental procedure in May and according to his parents, the kid’s teacher recently noticed his swollen face.
Authorities and health officials are categorizing the situation as “very unusual,” since it’s not a common infection to appear. According to an Orange County Health officer called Eric Handler, the infection is “very resistant to treatment and needs to be taken care of quickly.”
The primary concern about the disease is that symptoms can take up to six months to appear, which is why Gibran went to the dentist in May and is showing signs now. The kid’s clinic was informed about the situation and stopped performing “baby root canals” on September sixth, according to authorities over 500 children could have been exposed to the bacteria.
“Due to the length of incubation period and the recent discontinuation of the clinic’s pulpotomy procedures, additional cases may be identified”, informed the Orange County Health Care Agency to the Los Angeles Times.
Health officials with the hospital’s help are trying to reach the parents of all the kids that received procedure in the past months, to perform a blood test and X-rays to trigger the infection quickly.
“Finding out there’s other patients from the same dentist group that also are in there for the same reason, it makes your heart stop a little,” said Stephanie Baron, Gibran’s cousin to CBS News.
CBS has also informed about the case of Cecilia Roman’s daughter who a few months ago went for a typical dental cleaning, but when she came out three of her teeth had been taken out. According to Roman, she never agreed with physicians about the procedure, and now her daughter is showing infectious signs.
According to the authorities, the primary cause of the infection is yet to be identified, but the bacteria is commonly found in soil, dust, and water so it might be the water resources being used at the facility or the cleaning of instruments.
Samuel Gruenbaum, the Children’s Dental Group CEO has informed the company is ” doing everything, whether it’s sterilization or anything else that relates to taking care of the patients, we are on it.”
“We began a review and testing of our system, equipment, water and other elements in the office,” informed the Children’s Dental Group in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with The California Department and Public Health are working on the infectious case and identifying any other patients that might be at risk.
Source: CBS News