Parents warned of severe but rare paralysis in children

The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and other North American pediatric centers have seen a sharp increase in the number of young patients with polio-like muscle weakness following a viral illness.

The risk of acute flaccid myelitis in a child, better known as MAF, is estimated at only one in a million, but health officials ask parents to be vigilant and monitor symptoms. It is a kind of acute flaccid paralysis and weakness comes from an inflammation of the spinal cord that sends messages to and from the brain.

The long-term effects of AFM are not known, but some patients will continue to have muscle weakness and require ongoing care, Health Canada warned. Doctors are unsure of its causes and there is no vaccine available.

According to Sickkids, the AFM affects patients under the age of 15 and its symptoms include paralysis or weakness of the leg or arm, usually on one side of the body, which usually occurs after an illness viral.

"In 2014, there was a fairly similar group of 25 patients across Canada presenting with AFM symptoms in the fall," said the hospital in a press release, adding that cases of this year, however, do not seem to be closely related. at the same enterovirus, D68.

Health Canada has reported that since January 1, a total of 33 cases have been reported in Canada, of which 18 are confirmed and 15 are still under investigation. According to media reports, three of these cases were reported to the Children's Hospital of London's Health Sciences Center in Ontario in September.

South of the border, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the authorities had received 62 confirmed cases in 22 states since the beginning of the year, while another 93 cases still make the case. subject of an investigation. In 2017, the United States had only 33 confirmed cases.

The Canadian Pediatric Society has stated that parents should seek immediate medical attention if their child has sudden weakness of arms, legs or face, especially as a result of cold or flu symptoms of an infection upper respiratory tract or another viral disease.

He recommends that parents make sure that their children are aware of all vaccines, wash their hands often and stay at home if they have signs of illness.

Nicholas Keung is a reporter for immigration in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @nkeung