Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

The ignored environmental triggers of PANDAS disease

6^th International Conference on Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control & 5^th International conference on Pediatrics and Healthcare

May 16, 2022 | Webinar

Melchor Rodrigo

The Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Argentina

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Trop Dis

Abstract:

PANDAS Disease is an acronym for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with Streptococcus (Group A strep). Its true incidence is unknown, but the most recent research suggests it’s much higher than previously thought. This is because PANDAS Disease is not just one entity, but a spectrum. OCD, PANDAS Disease, Tourette syndrome, are now believed to be different manifestations of a common disorder. This has two reasonable explanations. One, it is now known that PANDAS Disease is caused not just by strep infections, but also from mycotoxins, Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Epstein Barr Virus, Coxsackie A and B, staph infections, Influenza and HHV-6. There is a big problem regarding mycotoxins: yeast overgrowth. This is because antibiotics run the chance of also killing off the “good bacteria” in the body. This could result in an overgrowth of yeast or candida, which can occur in multiple places in the body, specially the gut. The second explanation is that the target is always the basal ganglia in all these disorders. And of course, there’s still the lack of a specific serologic marker. Anti-neuronal antibodies, anti- DNase B titers, Streptozyme and anti-streptolysin O levels remain the most accurate. But for an accurate diagnosis, one should also evaluate for IG A deficiency, Ig E levels, IG M levels, ANA, Ferritin, vitamin D (some also mistakenly include testing for B12 levels, which is an acute phase reactant and will rise just by the procedure of introducing a needle for the blood sample).

Biography :

Melchor Rodrigo was born in Alexandria (Virginia, United States) in 1978. At the age of four, he traveled to Argentina, the place of origin of his parents. Since then, she has lived in both countries because of the flexibility her father's job required. After graduating as a doctor from the University of Salvador, he returned to his native country where he did research in Neuroradiology and General Radiology. With less than a year of receipt, he published papers in the World Federation of Neurosurgery, Later in prestigious publications such as the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe and the Association of University Radiologists. He had experience in Anesthesiology and finally decided to follow his true passion: Neurology.