[ad_1]
According to a state health official, a tenth Illinois child has been diagnosed as acute flaccid myelitis, which causes paralysis and difficulty in swallowing.
All recent cases occurred in northern Illinois, but officials from the Illinois Public Health Department did not provide more detailed information on the case. newer or in other cases. The Lurie Children's Hospital treated at least two of the children diagnosed with AFM, but had not received additional patients at the AFM since Friday.
The disease has attracted attention over the past week after parents of a 2-year-old daughter from Batavia spoke out to share their story to raise awareness. It is a rare but serious disease that causes inflammation of the spinal cord that directly affects the person's muscles.
Most of the cases identified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are children. Medical experts said the AFM itself was not considered contagious, but that its causes could be. According to the doctor, Julia Payne contracted what is called an enterovirus and was the cause of her AFM. And although everyone can contract an enterovirus – it can be the cause of colds, for example – not everyone will develop the AFM, said Dr. Marcelo Malakooti, medical director of pediatric intensive care unit of Lurie.
"It's very difficult to understand what children will do in this way and what is not," said Malakooti earlier this week.
According to state health officials, other causes have been linked to environmental toxins, genetic disorders and viruses similar to West Nile virus. In some cases, the cause of AFM remains unknown.
The CDC began tracking cases in 2014 after seeing an increase in the number of cases. Since then, at least 362 cases have been reported across the country, according to the federal agency. So far this year, cases have been reported in 16 states.
In September, the Illinois Department of Public Health sent an alert to health care providers about the AFM. Recently, state officials in Minnesota also issued an alert after receiving reports of six recent cases involving children.
Parents are encouraged to see a doctor if they notice any symptoms of the disease, such as weakness, drooping eyelid or eyelid, difficulty in moving eyes, difficulty swallowing, or trouble with the eyes. speech, according to the state health service. AFM has been compared to polio because its condition can lead to paralysis.
Twitter @ElviaMalagon
[ad_2]
Source link
