A polio virus spreading in the United States paralyzes children

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) want doctors to be on the lookout for a strange disease that resembles polio – a disease for which doctors have no vaccine or any means of prevention.

The disease is called acute flaccid myelitis (MFA)and the CDC m said it is important for health professionals to be able to quickly recognize symptoms and report any suspected cases to their local health unit. The United States experienced their largest epidemic in 2018, although the CDC only follow the disease since 2014, when the first outbreak of 120 cases occurred. In 2018, there were 233 patients registered in 41 states. In 2019, 11 confirmed cases in eight states out of 57 patients under investigation were confirmed.

AFM is a serious disease that affects the nervous system, especially the gray matter of the spinal cord. This can cause muscles and reflexes causing a rapid onset of flaccid paralysis, usually in an arm or leg, which is why it has been described as "polio-like". According to what the CDC know about the disease, late summer and early month. autumn is the "season" of the AFM. Since 2014, most cases involve children, whose average age is 5 years. In a confirmed case badysis in 2018, the CDC detected enteroviruses and rhinoviruses.

"The AFM is a devastating disease for patients and their families," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, deputy chief of the CDC, on Tuesday. "We know that families are facing uncertainties about their child's recovery from MFA, and we want parents to know that we are keeping their children in the spotlight and working with our partners to better understand this disease. , its risk factors and ways to treat and prevent. "

Time is running out to better understand these viruses. This is why the CDC urges doctors to report suspected cases immediately. According to a new report, doctors collected samples up to a week after the onset of limb weakness symptoms and took weeks to report cases to the CDC.

"This delay hampers our ability to understand the causes of AFM," said Dr. Tom Clark, deputy director of the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases, at the press conference. "We believe that it is essential to recognize the AFM at an early stage and that it can lead to better patient management."