Health professionals in Windsor-Essex are seeing more childhood cases of a rare side effect of influenza.
According to Health Canada, benign acute childhood myositis is a self-limiting muscle disorder affecting school-aged children, often following viral infections like influenza.
Children with benign acute childhood myositis experience sudden-onset pain in both calves, often with difficulty walking or refusing to bear weight due to the pain; in some cases, the severity of symptoms may necessitate hospitalization.
Dr. Jane Philip, a pediatrician at Windsor Regional Hospital, says while cases are still rare, they have noticed more cases than usual this flu season.
Philip says most of the time children have typical flu-like symptoms like fever, cough, congestion, and fatigue in that initial phase of the virus.
"It can slowly progress to limping or refusal to walk. Patients will complain of things like calf pain or muscle tenderness. That's usually the clinical picture of what we see," she says.
Philip says if you're noticing symptoms, you should have your child evaluated.
"Children can have the flu and usually fight it off pretty well if they're not immunocompromised. But notice if they're having these prolonged episodes afterwards of not being able to ambulate, complaining of calf tenderness or weakness, or not being able to get up and move; then they need to be evaluated in the emergency room," she says.
The condition generally affects school-age boys.
Treatment can include pain control and lots of fluids.
Getting a flu shot is recommended as the best way to prevent influenza and its complications.