Angina seems to be something ordinary: sore throat, fever, the doctor prescribes antibiotics – and in a few days the child is healthy again. But sometimes even this simple infection can provoke dangerous processes in the child’s body, which will radically change his behaviour.
Scientists are beginning to find out how this bacterial infection can affect the brain.
The day that changed everything
On Charlie Drury’s eighth birthday, it was business as usual: cake, presents, friends.
But in the evening, his mother, Kate Drury, noticed a disturbing change – his eye twitched, his son kept sniffing his hands. Subsequently, the temperature rose, and doctors diagnosed streptococcal angina.
It would seem that everything was normal. But after a few weeks, the family’s normal life turned into a real horror.
Charlie became so sensitive to Susan Shwedoiz of the National Institute of Health of the United States provided convincing evidence of this connection.
Photo by Kate Drury
The disease is considered rare: about one case per 12,000 children per year. It is most often diagnosed in boys before puberty.
“For obvious reasons, parents panic,” says Shannon Delaney, a child and adolescent neuropsychiatrist in New York City who treats patients with the diagnosis.
I often hear them say, I think my child is gone. It’s a kind of obsession.
When immunity goes against the brain
Scientists believe that in some children with certain genetic predispositions, the immune system “confuses” the target: instead of fighting the infection, it attacks the brain’s own tissues – especially the basal ganglia, which are responsible for emotion, movement and behaviour.
This is when there is a sudden and dramatic change in a child’s behaviour, this discovery is significant, especially as such behaviour is often mistakenly thought to be the result of poor parenting, Frankovic adds.
Author photo, Getty Images
Today, pandas are recognised by international organisations: for example, who added it to their classification of diseases.
But distrust remains. A report by the American Academy of Paediatrics (2025) notes that the diagnosis is “presumptive” but “the diagnostic process is complicated by a lack of evidence” and “much remains unknown”.
There is no single test or marker that accurately confirms the presence of pandas.
The changes in the brain are so slight that they are not visible on conventional CT or MRI scans. As Frankovich says: the radiologist looks at the picture and says, “It’s normal.” And the patient is overlooked.
The cost of time and uot;in a different body”: she lost her appetite, started having severe gastrointestinal problems, insomnia and strange and disturbing behaviour, notably trying to get out of a moving car.
Author photo, Alyssa Johnson
Her condition worsened day by day, but the diagnosis came too late.
Treatment gave a temporary improvement, but two and a half years later the girl died.
Author photo, Alyssa Johnson
Her family donated her brain to science in the hope that it would help other children avoid such a fate.
“She dreamed of becoming an immunologist and helping people like her,” her mother said.
Today, Lulu’s family funds research by donating materials and supporting a foundation in her honour.
In search of answers
Pandas and its broader analogue pans, which occur not only after sore throat but also after other infections, remain scarce nbsp. There are funds that support families, research, and physician training.
But the main thing missing today is awareness, experts say.
A disease that starts as a simple sore throat can ruin childhoods, families and dreams. But timely diagnosis and support can bring a child back to life.
As one mum says, “He came back to us after treatment. We saw him as our son again”.