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Updated 6 hours ago
Three new children with suspected acute flaccid myelitis, or “modern polio,” are being treated at UPMC Children’s Hospital, the Allegheny County Health Department said Thursday.
Those new patients are all Allegheny County residents, according to the health department.
“ACHD continues to investigate these cases and is awaiting additional test results,” a statement from the health department said. “At this time, no connection between cases has been established.”
That brings the total number of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) patients currently being treated at UPMC Children’s to six. Of those patients, five are from Allegheny County and reside in different areas, according to the health department.
The sixth patient is from Washington County.
Andrea Kunicky, spokesperson for UPMC Children’s, declined to comment on any cases at the hospital.
There is also a fourth new suspected case in eastern Pennsylvania, Nate Wardle, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said Thursday.
The condition affects a person’s nervous system, specifically the spinal cord, and is often caused by common viruses. The main symptom is weakness of one or more limbs, but can also present with a fever, runny nose or diarrhea.
An infectious disease specialist at UPMC Children’s told reporters Thursday morning that parents should not panic over the recent cases of AFM but should contact a doctor if their child experiences weakness of the arms and legs.
“It’s very scary, and it’s a serious illness for the children and families affected, but parents and family should remember that it’s very rare,” Dr. John Williams, chief of the Pediatric Infectious Disease division at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, told reporters Thursday.
The disease is rarely deadly, but recovery varies by child.
“Most kids to experience some recovery and some kids have a full recovery,” Williams said. “But a lot of kids are left with residual weakness, which can be from mild weakness in one arm or leg, or in some cases it can be severe to where they’re unable to walk.”
The last major AFM outbreak — 120 cases across 34 states in 2014 — coincided with a sharp rise in severe respiratory illnesses caused by enterovirus D68.
This year, the Centers for Disease Control has observed 38 confirmed cases in 16 states, the federal agency said in an update last week.
One of the two Allegheny County children with confirmed cases is Bryson Ackermann , the young son of Pine-Richland High School basketball coach Jeffrey Ackermann. He is receiving treatment at UPMC Children’s.
A gofundme.com page has been set up to assist with Bryson’s medical treatment.
“Bryson has been diagnosed with AFM (a polio like disease). Right now he is at Children’s hospital in ICU. Bryson has a long road of treatments, etc., ahead of him. We are trying to help the family out with the many medical expenses, travel cost, parking cost, food cost and time off work for both Jeff and Jill. Anything you can give will help!”
Jamie Martines is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jamie at 724-850-2867, [email protected] or via Twitter @Jamie_Martines.
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