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The woods, texas Texas State Department Health Services announced Thursday that at least two polio-like illnesses have been reported this year in southeastern Texas.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in a million people will be diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, also known as MFA. This is a rare disease, but health officials have seen an increase in the number of cases since 2014, mostly among children.
A mother wants to share her story to alert other parents about the AFM.
Scott said that his 7 year old son, Braden Scott, had been diagnosed with MFA at the age of 5 years.
"We have been working for more than two years to help him recover from this situation. He is only able to move with one hand, he is able to walk and he has regained many functions, "said Rachel Scott. "I'm joking that I could be a therapist or a respirologist. I have a lot of medical knowledge that I did not have before. "
Rachel Scott said on July 4, 2016 that Braden had started showing signs of colds or mono.
"In the beginning, his main symptom was that he could not swallow and we assumed he had a sore throat," Scott said. "They were taking antibiotics and steroids, and it was only getting weaker. Eventually, we realized that it was too late, that it was a paralysis, that he swallowed and that the rest of his body was becoming paralyzed.
She said that he had finally stopped breathing because his diaphragm was paralyzed and had to be airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital by Life Flight. Scott said that they lived in the Beaumont area at the time.
"And it took two more days to realize that it was a neurological problem, and then they could start the treatments to prevent the paralysis from spreading," she said.
AFM is a virus that affects the nervous system. According to the CDC, it weakens the muscles and reflexes of the body. Many people compare the disease to polio because it can cause problems very similar to poliovirus.
Symptoms of AFM include weakness of the arms or legs, facial weakness or weakness, difficulty moving the eyes, droopy eyelids, difficulty swallowing or difficult speech.
Since his diagnosis, Braden has followed countless treatments and progresses at every stage.
"With AFM, Braden had to relearn fundamentally to do everything: breathe, talk, walk, and as you can see, he has come a long way," said Jamie Beckham, TIRR occupational therapist Memorial Hermann at The Woodlands.
Braden goes to TIRR Memorial Hermann at The Woodlands five hours a week.
"He has recovered a lot even since we saw him. We really worked on his hands, his upper limbs, a lot of hands with his right arm and a lot of shoulder strengthening with his left arm, "said Beckham. "Braden had a nerve transfer about a year ago that we are trying to get this activation, so he has made a lot of progress since we see it."
"We spent a lot of time learning how to improve Braden," Scott said.
Braden attends a public school and is in second grade, but every day he spends two hours at home working on therapy.
"Braden has such a strong desire to improve," said Beckham, who said Braden was very smart. "He challenges us as therapists and we challenge him as a patient. So it's very fun to work with him. "
Scott, who is also the mother of four other young children, has created a Facebook page so that other parents whose children have AFM can connect.
"It helps AFM families get together and get support from other parents who are experiencing the same thing, and they hope to get better results," Scott said. "Parents who are in the acute phase when their children are just starting to get sick should be able to find the treatments to quickly stop paralysis."
She said her goal is also to raise awareness about the rare disease.
"The CDC has not received an accurate report on the number of AFM cases because it is not mandatory to report it," Scott said. "The CDC does not recognize that this is a widespread problem because we think it's because it's under-reported and has not been adequately addressed."
According to the CDC, other viruses such as poliovirus and West Nile can sometimes lead to AFM.
Although the virus can not be cured, neurologists can recommend treatment.
State health officials said the AFM was not a reportable disease. The number of cases is therefore based on those who voluntarily reported it.
Most of the eight cases of illness reported in Texas are in the northern part of the state. However, officials said, several other cases could be reviewed and the CDC assessment process takes about a month.
Copyright 2018 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
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