Minnesota researcher finds possible link between virus and acute flaccid myelitis

A researcher at the University of Minnesota has identified a virus associated with a disease that can cause sudden paralysis in children.

Between September and November, state health officials learned that six children in Minnesota suddenly had weakness in their arms and legs. One of the children stays in the hospital and all still have weak limbs, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Heidi Moline, Chief Pediatric Resident at the University of Minnesota, examined cases of children diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis.

Moline said that the virus, enterovirus D68, had been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of one of six patients, "which helps to explain one of the causes of l? AFM and to better characterize this disease ".

She said the virus spread by coughing or sneezing and usually spikes in the fall every two years.

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All MFA cases in Minnesota last fall had a unique feature.

"It was amazing to hear parents say that their child was sleeping the night before, feeling good and showing no signs of illness or weakness. And wake up in the morning without being able to brush your hair or go down the stairs, "Moline says.

According to the CDC report, the children were all living in different counties in Minnesota and had no contact suggesting that they had infected each other. Moline explained that the reason why these children in particular had contracted the AFM was not clear. All had fever or upper respiratory symptoms before weakness.

AFM is a rare disease that affects the gray matter of the spinal cord. This can lead to symptoms of sudden muscle weakness and occasional paralysis. At the time of business in Minnesota, other cases of AFM in children had been reported elsewhere in the United States. The CDC began investigating the MAF in 2014 after reporting "a large number of cases".

MPR News reporter Nina Moini contributed to this report.