Virus known to paralyze kids spreading across the US

Karah Rucker

A RESPIRATORY VIRUS THAT CAN PARALYZE CHILDREN – MUCH LIKE POLIO – IS SPREADING IN THE U-S, WASTEWATER SAMPLES SHOW.

THE VIRUS – CALLED D-68 – IS KNOWN TO AFFECT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, CAUSING SEVERE WEAKNESS IN THE ARMS AND LEGS, CALLED ACUTE FLACCID MYELITIS  – OR A A-F-M – ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN. 

WASTEWATER SAMPLES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE SHOWING INCREASING LEVELS OF THE VIRUS… WHICH COULD SIGNAL A POTENTIAL INCREASE IN A-F-M CASES IN THE U-S THIS YEAR.

SEPTEMBER IS KNOWN TO BE THE BIGGEST MONTH FOR A-F-M DIAGNOSES. 

D-68 IS AN ENTEROVIRUS – WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF VIRUS IN THE U-S.

MOST OF THE TIME, THIS GROUP OF VIRUSES CAUSE MILD SYMPTOMS LIKE A RUNNY NOSE, COUGH, HEADACHE, AND JUST THAT OVERALL “BLAH” FEELING. 

BUT – DURING THE LAST MAJOR SPIKE IN THE D-68 STRAIN IN 20-14 – THE U-S SAW AN INCREASE IN CHILDREN GETTING A-F-M, WITH 120 CASES DIAGNOSED THAT YEAR.

DOCTORS SAY THERE IS NO CURE OR SPECIFIC TREATMENT FOR PARALYSIS CAUSED BY A-F-M, BUT INTENSIVE PHYSICAL THERAPY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HELP.

SINCE THE C-D-C BEGAN ITS MONITORING IN 20-14… THEY SAY A-F-M HAVE SPIKED IN AN EVERY-OTHER-YEAR PATTERN – WITH MORE PEOPLE INFECTED IN 20-16 AND 20-18 THAN 20-15 AND 20-17. 

THAT PATTERN WAS BROKEN IN 20-20 DURING THE COVID-19 SHUTDOWNS – AND WHILE D-68 CASES *DID* SURGE AGAIN IN 20-22… THERE WAS *NOT* A RISE IN A-F-M CASES. 

STILL, THOUGH, DOCTORS SAY THERE IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN. 

SO FAR IN 20-24 – 13 CASES OF A-F-M HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED.