Polio as a disease causes concern

October 11, 2018 12:00

Poliomyelitis is a scary disease that can cause paralysis. However, poliomyelitis has been eradicated in the United States and is virtually eradicated worldwide. This is why it is perfectly understandable that parents are now worried about the rare cases of similar illness observed in the country. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a neurological disease, most often caused by a group of viruses similar to the polio virus. It also causes similar symptoms.

"A child with AFM will develop weakness, often legs that can progress to complete paralysis. This could be at a higher level and involve the arms, too, "Andrew Pavia, MD, chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases for the University of Utah Health. "There may also be difficulty speaking or difficulty swallowing. In severe cases, a child may need to use a ventilator to breathe. "

There have been two waves of MFA in the United States over the last four years – one in 2014 and one in 2016. Nevertheless, the number of children with the disease is extremely low. The Centers for Disease Control has only 362 confirmed cases in the last four years, including 38 in 2018. "The risk of a child's infection is extremely low, but if it's a serious problem, it's a good thing. your child acts, it is a fairly serious illness. Said Pavie.

As AFM is not caused by a single virus, it is so far difficult to detect. Viruses suspected to be at the origin of the AFM usually cause mild illness and may even cause no symptoms. In addition, before the onset of MFA symptoms, it can be difficult to accurately track the precise virus that caused them.

"By the time paralysis develops, often the virus is no longer detectable in the nose or cerebrospinal fluid," Pavia said. "So it's hard to know what causes a particular case of AFD, to understand transmission and how to prevent it, we need to be able to identify the virus."

AFM is rare. The best thing to do is to protect yourself and your children from AFM, which is exactly what you do to prevent the spread of viral diseases. Careful and regular hand washing is an excellent starting point. It helps stop the transmission of germs and viruses. Also, stay away from sick people and stay home when you are sick to avoid infecting others. And of course, get vaccinated against preventable diseases like measles and polio.

"Vaccines protect you from a host of unpleasant diseases you do not want," said Pavia. "Although they may seem like diseases of the past, the risk of reoccurrence is very real if vaccination campaigns around the world do not continue. The periodic return of measles due to reduced use of measles vaccine in some areas is a clear warning. "