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"I am frustrated that despite all our efforts, we have not been able to identify the cause of this mysterious disease," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Center Director. National Immunization and Respiratory Disease Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
James Leynse / Corbis / Getty Images
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"I am frustrated that despite all our efforts, we have not been able to identify the cause of this mysterious disease," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Center Director. National Immunization and Respiratory Disease Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
James Leynse / Corbis / Getty Images
A rare condition causing weakness of the arms or legs – and sometimes paralysis – has been confirmed in 62 children since the beginning of the year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday.
A child died of the disease, called acute flaccid myelitis.
At least another 65 cases are currently under investigation, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Until now, no common cause linking these diseases has been found.
"We do not know much about the AFM," Messonnier said at a teleconference for journalists. "I am frustrated that despite all our efforts, we have not been able to identify the cause of this mysterious disease."
The average age of children is about 4 years, she said, and 90% of the cases studied by the CDC since 2014 involved children 18 years old or younger.
According to Messonnier, scientists do not fully understand the long-term consequences of the disease: "We know that some patients who have been diagnosed with AFM have recovered quickly and some continue to be paralyzed and in need of ongoing care. . "
Since the disease was first recognized by the CDC in 2014, the agency confirmed 362 cases. The AFM appears to be seasonal, mainly in late summer and fall, but appears in greater numbers every two years.
The number of cases in 2018 is about to match a similar number of cases in 2014 and 2016. But Messonnier warned that it would be "premature" to be confident that this year will be the same as the previous years.
Some doctors may not have reported some less serious cases to their public health department or the CDC, but Messonnier thinks that number would be low.
"It's actually a pretty dramatic disease," she said. "These children have a sudden onset of weakness and are generally seeking medical care, they are assessed by neurologists, infectious disease physicians and their pediatricians, and are sensitized to public health."
Possible causes include viruses affecting the digestive system called enteroviruses and possibly strains of rhinovirus, responsible for colds, she said. The CDC is also considering the possibility that environmental toxins could trigger sudden muscle weakness. And it does not exclude possible genetic disorders.
The media have reported in recent weeks that a "polio-like virus" could be causing this disease, increasing fears that it is about polio it -even.
"At the present time, we know that poliovirus is not the cause of these cases of MFA," said Messonnier.
She said the CDC had tested each stool sample from AFM patients. None has been tested positive for poliovirus. She also stated that West Nile virus had not been associated with any of these cases either.
"As a parent, I understand what it's like to be afraid for your child," said Messonnier. "Parents should know that AFM is very rare, even with the increasing number of cases we are currently seeing.We recommend that you seek immediate medical attention if you or your child develop a sudden weakness of the arms. and legs. "
Messonnier emphasized the rarity of the disease, pointing out that it occurs in less than one in a million children in the United States. So far this year, cases have been confirmed in 22 states, based on findings from studies on MRI and the.
The CDC states that disease prevention measures should be followed, particularly with respect to vaccines, hand washing and the use of a mosquito repellent.
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