Ongoing Research
Goals
The primary goal of our work is to learn more about La Crosse virus infections in children. We are interested in all aspects of the disease, ranging from the mosquito in the yard to the child in the intensive care unit.
La Crosse Virus Transmission Cycle
As a starting point, we are seeking to enroll children who have been infected with La Crosse virus as well as family members who have been impacted by the illness. From there, we try to work backwards to identify the human and environmental factors that may have contributed to the infection. At present, we are not studying new treatments, but the information gained may lead to new methods of preventing and controlling the disease. We will share these results with you. For example, we will tell you if we find the mosquitoes that transmit La Crosse virus around your house and suggest some ways to reduce future risk of infection.
Ways to Participate
There are two ways to participate in our research:
(1) an “in-person” option for children who are currently admitted to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina and
(2) a “remote” option for children recently admitted with La Crosse virus at other hospitals, including those outside North Carolina. Individuals, either children or adults, who have been diagnosed with La Crosse virus infection in the past may also be eligible to participate in a related study that seeks to understand how the immune system responds to infection – information which may be critical to the development of new treatments or vaccines. If you’re interested in learning more, please read below.
Study Details
1. In-Person Study
We want to identify and enroll children (age <18 years) who are admitted to Mission Hospital with symptoms suspicious for La Crosse infection. These may include things like fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, seizures, and altered consciousness. If the doctors and nurses suspect La Crosse virus infection, they will let us know. A member of our research team will meet with the child’s parent or guardian in the hospital. The team member will review the study details and ask for permission to enroll the child in the study, a process called “consent.”
If the parent or guardian agrees to participate, we will ask them to complete questionnaires about the child’s illness, including outdoor activities prior to the start of symptoms. We will then monitor the child’s progress during the hospitalization, recording information about their progress. We also collect any leftover blood samples that from testing that was done as part of normal care. The doctors and nurses remain in charge of the child’s care. In other words, the study does not change how the child is treated and there are no additional procedures (e.g., blood draws) performed just for the purpose of the study.
When the child is discharged from the hospital, we will ask the parent or guardian to fill out additional surveys (available online) every 30 days to let us know how the child is recovering. Additionally, we will attempt to schedule a home visit, during which time a team from Western Carolina University will search for mosquitoes and potential mosquito breeding sites in the yard. We will also ask to draw a small amount of blood from other members of the household to check for past exposures to La Crosse virus. To minimize discomfort, especially for other children in the household, we use a “needleless” device called a Tasso that attaches to arm. After 90 days participation is considered complete, although we do ask to be able to contact participants about future studies.
2. Remote Study
Because La Crosse virus affects children not just in western North Carolina – and affected families in other areas have reached out to us - we have recently added a “remote” option. As much as possible, we try to collect similar information as the “in person” option. For example, since we are not able to be present in the hospital, we ask parents to send a copy of relevant medical records after discharge. Similarly, have developed a do-it-yourself kit that we mail to participants that includes the both the blood collection devices and the materials to collect mosquitoes around the house. Any information helps us, so you’re welcome to participate in as many of the activities as you like.
3. Prior Infection Study
In addition to severe infections, we also want to understand how the human body reacts to La Crosse virus infections, both in the short and long term. Therefore, we are interested in obtaining blood samples from individuals – either children or adults – who are known to have been infected in the past. Participants are asked to provide a blood sample, drawn the usual way of inserting a needle in a vein in the arm. We then separate the blood into its various parts for studies of how the immune system has developed in response to the infection. We may share these samples with partners at places like the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health to try to develop new diagnostic tests, treatments, and vaccines. We do offer a modest financial incentive to participants to offset any travel costs as well as in appreciation of your contribution to the research.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.-b). Transmission of La Crosse virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/la-crosse-encephalitis/php/transmission/index.html
