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MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – Families with children affected by a polio-like illness met with Senator Amy Klobuchar on Thursday to talk about steps to find a cause and heal.
A few hours earlier, Senator Klobuchar had received a letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which answered some of the many questions relating to this mysterious and rare disease.
One of the most important goals that parents have discussed with Senator Klobuchar is not only to find a cause and to heal, but also to raise public awareness. The goal is to get children diagnosed and treated more quickly and to make it mandatory to report this disease across the country. The only way to possibly get a vaccine is to be able to search as many cases as possible.
Elaine Elizabeth Eller Young considers her four year old son, Orville, to be one of the lucky ones.
"Having a paralyzed arm is a big problem, but it can breathe on its own," said Eller Young. "It's the most important thing because a lot of these kids can not."
Orville is still waiting for the results of the confirmed AFM tests. He participated in a roundtable with several local health officials and Senator Klobuchar to several other families fighting the AFM.
To date, the CDC has confirmed 62 sudden onset AFM cases in 22 states, including six in Minnesota and at least one seventh pending. Nationally, over 150 cases have been investigated since 2014. Almost all cases involve children.
The CDC does not know if the polio-like virus is caused by a virus, the environment or anything else.
"I think that part of that pushes to get the data, so we can understand who gets it and why, but also push them to find out what's wrong," Klobuchar said.
"With regard to acute flaccid myelitis, there are many unknowns," said Kristen Ehresmann, the state's director of infectious diseases. "One of the things that has been identified in a number of cases is that they have a viral disease that causes their muscle weakness."
Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Health reported that in the seven Minnesota cases, children reported suffering from a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness in the days preceding the onset of neuralgic symptoms. That's what happened with Orville before his arm weakened. For the moment, his mother and others are reassured to know that they are not alone in the quest for answers.
"These are our children and they are paralyzed and some of them are crippled all their lives," Eller Young said.
The Ministry of Health recognizes that the recommendations may seem too simple, but the best way to keep your family healthy is to wash your hands, stay home if you're sick and cover your cough. Although it is late, protection against mosquito bites could also help. A possible link with West Nile virus is one of many potential causes explored by the CDC.
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