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A total of 252 cases of acute flaccid myelitis are under investigation across the country, up from 33 since last week.
Frightened by the sudden increase in the number of children suffering from paralysis of the arms or legs in US Health officials announced Tuesday that they were investigating the possibility of ## 147 ## ####################################################################### 39, a virus or an autoimmune disease.
A total of 252 cases of the disease known as acute flaccid myelitis (AMF) is currently under investigation nationwide. , with a 33% increase over last week, said Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
With 80 cases confirmed so far this year, 2018 appears to be keeping pace with previous record years such as 2014 (120 cases) and 2016 (149 cases), compared to Messonnier.
Since 2014, the year of the onset of the syndrome, more than 400 cases have been confirmed by laboratory tests.
A few dozen cases were recorded in 2015 and 2017.
Messonnier said he understood the parents' concern, but pointed out that the disorder remained "rare" in terms of frequency.
The majority of cases occur in children aged two to eight years. Almost everyone had fever and respiratory illness for three to ten days before experiencing sudden paralysis of the arms or legs.
In some children, the paralysis then disappeared, but at least half did not recover, said Messonnier.
The center badyzed 125 fluid samples from the spinal cord and half of them were positive for rhinovirus or enterovirus, which usually produced symptoms such as fever, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea and body aches.
However, scientists remain puzzled as to the precise cause of sudden paralysis because these viruses are common, but not the MFA.
"We are trying to find out what are the triggers that could lead somebody to develop the MFA," Messonnier told reporters.
"It may be one of the viruses we have already detected, of a virus that we have not yet detected or of a virus that triggers a another process that actually activates the MFA, through an autoimmune process "
" The CDC is a science-driven agency, so far, science does not give us an answer ", he added.
What is perhaps the most frustrating for parents, is that there is no way to prevent it, neither therapies nor any other kind of treatment. specific interventions.
"Parents and caregivers are encouraged to see a doctor immediately for a child with sudden weakness in the arms or legs," the CDC's latest report states. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, released Tuesday.
Messonnier said that the CDC had not followed all AMF cases since 2014, which generated gaps in the federal agency's awareness of the disease, which the experts are currently trying to solve.
According to the report, a child with an MFA died in 2017.
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