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CNN Live At Daybreak
Marine Corps Investigating Medical Mystery
Aired December 17, 2002 - 05:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Marine Corps is investigating a medical mystery. They're trying to find out why a recruit died suddenly after what started out as a seemingly minor rash.
Here's CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An 18-year-old private, Michael Zavalla, actually dead now at the naval hospital in San Diego. Apparently he started off with a little rash on his ankle and quickly progressed to what they're calling an unusual bacterial event.
MAJ. GEN. JAN HULY, MARINE CORPS RECRUITING DEPOT: yesterday, Private Miguel Zavalla noticed he had developed a rash, reported to his drill instructor early yesterday morning. He was medivaced, medically evacuated for medical reasons, to our branch medical clinic, where he was further medivaced to the hospital at Balboa. And yesterday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. he passed away. The cause of his death has not yet been determined fully.
GUPTA: The thing that they're investigating is actually something called Group A streptococcus, and this is a fairly common infection, although there is an invasive form which -- of the Group A streptococcus, which can be very problematic. But let's look at some of the early symptoms of Group A streptococcus, of the particularly severe kind, the fever, severe pain and swelling, redness at the wound site. That's what we heard Private Miguel Zavalla had actually initially. And then it can actually progress to more severe things, fever, dizziness, confusion and a flat red rash really over the entire area of the body.
But apparently, again, this does appear to be a pretty significant bacterial event.
Now, they haven't confirmed exactly that Group A streptococcus is what actually led to the demise of Private Zavalla. There is another gentleman who is in the intensive care unit with a confirmed case of Group A streptococcus and there are 50 other people in the hospital who are being treated for bacterial infections. Whether or not this is an outbreak of Group A strep they don't know yet, but we should have those answers shortly.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Thanks, Dr. Gupta.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 17, 2002 - 05:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Marine Corps is investigating a medical mystery. They're trying to find out why a recruit died suddenly after what started out as a seemingly minor rash.
Here's CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An 18-year-old private, Michael Zavalla, actually dead now at the naval hospital in San Diego. Apparently he started off with a little rash on his ankle and quickly progressed to what they're calling an unusual bacterial event.
MAJ. GEN. JAN HULY, MARINE CORPS RECRUITING DEPOT: yesterday, Private Miguel Zavalla noticed he had developed a rash, reported to his drill instructor early yesterday morning. He was medivaced, medically evacuated for medical reasons, to our branch medical clinic, where he was further medivaced to the hospital at Balboa. And yesterday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. he passed away. The cause of his death has not yet been determined fully.
GUPTA: The thing that they're investigating is actually something called Group A streptococcus, and this is a fairly common infection, although there is an invasive form which -- of the Group A streptococcus, which can be very problematic. But let's look at some of the early symptoms of Group A streptococcus, of the particularly severe kind, the fever, severe pain and swelling, redness at the wound site. That's what we heard Private Miguel Zavalla had actually initially. And then it can actually progress to more severe things, fever, dizziness, confusion and a flat red rash really over the entire area of the body.
But apparently, again, this does appear to be a pretty significant bacterial event.
Now, they haven't confirmed exactly that Group A streptococcus is what actually led to the demise of Private Zavalla. There is another gentleman who is in the intensive care unit with a confirmed case of Group A streptococcus and there are 50 other people in the hospital who are being treated for bacterial infections. Whether or not this is an outbreak of Group A strep they don't know yet, but we should have those answers shortly.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Thanks, Dr. Gupta.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
