Child Recuperating From Deadly Infection

Apr 08, 06:07 PM

Current Headlines: A 2-year-old boy who contracted a potentially deadly infection from his father's smallpox vaccination is recuperating nicely at the University of Chicago.

Doctors treating the child at the college's pediatric intensive care unit told the Chicago Tribune on Friday that the boy will likely soon not be in critical condition after receiving treatment for eczema vaccinatum.

Eczema vaccinatum is a rare instance when the normally safe virus in smallpox vaccines becomes a potentially deadly side effect.

Since being placed in the medical unit last month, the child has survived kidney failure linked to the infection and last week managed to begin breathing without help from a ventilator.

Doctors said that while the boy's condition is rapidly improving, he will be forced to remain in a special room until his infectious pox lesions disappear.

After contracting the infection from his father, the boy spread the rare side effect to his mother.

The Tribune said that the mother's symptoms were milder and that she recuperated alongside her son until the infection passed.