October 9, 2021: PANDAS/PANS Awareness Day

WHEREAS, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndromes (PANS) are neuropsychiatric conditions that are associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and restrictive eating disorder following a strep, bacterial or viral infection; and,

 

WHEREAS, a child with PANDAS/PANS will exhibit a sudden, dramatic change in personality displayed as OCD or severely restricted food intake along with other symptoms such as tics, anxiety, irritability, depression, behavioral regression, deterioration in school performance, and sensory sensitivities; and,

 

WHEREAS, these syndromes involve a misdirected autoimmune response in which the immune system attacks specific tissues in the brain resulting in inflammation; and,

 

WHEREAS, PANDAS Network estimates that PANDAS/PANS affects as many as 1 in 200 children in the United States, is likely as common as pediatric cancer and pediatric diabetes, and can seriously affect the health outcomes of a child; and,

 

WHEREAS, PANDAS/PANS is often misdiagnosed and undertreated; treatment varies by the needs of the child, but may include antibiotics, steroids, IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin), plasmapheresis, cognitive behavioral therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications; and,

 

WHEREAS, PANDAS Network is a 501c3 non-profit corporation dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of children with PANDAS/PANS and serves as a conduit for research collaboration and resource for the medical community; and,

 

WHEREAS, it is imperative that there be greater public awareness of this health issue and more action at the local, state, and national levels, so that affected children can be identified and treated early;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim October 9, 2021, as PANDAS/PANS Awareness Day in Michigan.