{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T10:18:49Z","timestamp":1783419529063,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":12,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783382400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"IM-USFQ"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Influenza A (H5N1) is a highly pathogenic zoonotic virus with a human fatality rate of approximately 60%. Pediatric cases and associated neurological manifestations remain poorly documented in Latin America. This report describes the first confirmed Ecuadorian pediatric case of H5N1-associated encephalitis and multisystem organ failure in a previously healthy 9-year-old female following direct contact with infected poultry. The clinical course was characterized by an atypical initial presentation of bilateral periorbital edema and headache, progressing to acute encephalitis, cerebral ischemia, flaccid tetraplegia, central diabetes insipidus, and refractory septic shock. Diagnostic confirmation was achieved via nasopharyngeal RT-PCR, with additional RT-PCR and sequencing performed on cerebrospinal fluid, which identified conserved influenza A M1\/M2 gene fragments, while laboratory markers\u2014including marked elevations in IL-6, ferritin, and CRP\u2014indicated a severe hyperinflammatory state. Management involved an intensive multidisciplinary approach utilizing oseltamivir, intravenous immunoglobulin, modulated-dose corticosteroids, desmopressin, and mechanical ventilation. Despite a severe clinical course, the patient achieved a favorable recovery, with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15\/15 at discharge and only partial residual paresis and left hypoacusia as sequelae. This landmark case provides rare evidence of H5N1 neuroinvasion in a pediatric patient and demonstrates that timely detection combined with aggressive immunotherapy and antiviral treatment can improve survival. Furthermore, it underscores the critical necessity for strengthened regional molecular surveillance and clinical training to recognize atypical presentations of emerging zoonoses in Latin America, especially in cases involving contact with sick poultry.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18070749","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T09:53:46Z","timestamp":1783418026000},"page":"749","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["First Ecuadorian Pediatric Case of Multisystem and Neurological Involvement Associated with Influenza A\u2014H5N1 Virus\u2014Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Frances","family":"Fuenmayor","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital, Quito 170523, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Santiago","family":"Ch\u00e1vez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Universidad de las Am\u00e9ricas, Quito 170124, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3336-4954","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda de los \u00c1ngeles","family":"Costta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital, Quito 170523, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mateo","family":"Carvajal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Denisse","family":"Ben\u00edtez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rommel","family":"Guevara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erika","family":"Mu\u00f1oz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9626-4489","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pa\u00fal","family":"C\u00e1rdenas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marisol","family":"Carrillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Intensive Care Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcelo","family":"Guerrero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Intensive Care Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-3710-1480","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Melanie","family":"Orellana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Universidad de las Am\u00e9ricas, Quito 170124, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO) (2026, March 08). Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases for Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Reported to WHO, 2003\u20132023. Available online: https:\/\/cdn.who.int\/media\/docs\/default-source\/influenza\/h5n1-human-case-cumulative-table\/cumulative-number-of-confirmed-human-cases-for-avian-influenza-a(h5n1)-reported-to-who--2003-2023071d9f0c-49c7-43ef-bf36-4ae01252b29a.pdf."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) (2026, March 08). High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) Situation Report 78: Update as of 31 December 2025. Available online: https:\/\/www.woah.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/hpai-situation-report-78.pdf."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.3390\/microbiolres14020045","article-title":"Avian influenza: Could the H5N1 virus be a potential next threat?","volume":"14","author":"Imperia","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microbiol. Res."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Tripathi, A.K., Sendor, A.B., and Sapra, A. 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Dis."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1736","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000002125","article-title":"Autoimmune post\u2013herpes simplex encephalitis of adults and teenagers","volume":"85","author":"Armangue","year":"2015","journal-title":"Neurology"}],"container-title":["Viruses"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-4915\/18\/7\/749\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T10:09:05Z","timestamp":1783418945000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-4915\/18\/7\/749"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]]},"references-count":12,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["v18070749"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/v18070749","relation":{},"ISSN":["1999-4915"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1999-4915","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]]}}}