Sometimes when children present with difficult behaviors they are given a mental health diagnosis without considering whether an infection might be the root cause of the disorder. When the child’s behaviors are the result of strep antibodies attacking the basal ganglia of the brain, the condition is known as PANDAS: Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep. Once the condition is triggered by strep, subsequent exacerbations can be caused by other bacteria or viruses such as the flu.
When a child comes down with severe sudden onset OCD as the primary symptom, sometimes triggered by infections other than strep, it may be referred to as Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).