During the month of August, hospitals in several North American states reported increases in hospitalizations for severe respiratory diseases. And in the relevant tests they found that some samples tested positive for enterovirus D68 (EV-D68).
For this reason, the CDC has just alerted doctors, laboratories, and specialists about the increases they are detecting in serious respiratory diseases that require hospitalization, especially in children.
In the alert they ask health professionals to consider this enterovirus as a possible cause of these serious respiratory diseases, and to carry out the necessary tests to confirm or rule out.
They also request all health institutions to report any new cases.
“EV D68” what is it and what risks does it have
At the moment, the number of infections detected is already the highest since a significant wave of seasonal infections occurred in 2018.
In addition, it should be remembered that enteroviruses are a group of viruses made up of more than a hundred different species and that they are responsible for millions of diseases each year.
They mainly affect the summer months and early , and are highly contagious, sometimes reaching epidemic proportions.
But most of them are not serious.
Enterovirus symptoms
D68, like almost all viruses of its species, most commonly causes mild symptoms resembling a cold. But it can also cause more serious respiratory diseases.
In any case, the most frequent symptoms of enteroviruses are:
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Fever
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Headache
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Respiratory disease
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Sore throat
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Sores in the mouth, sometimes
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Skin rash, sometimes.
And for this reason, the most common examination by the doctor to detect them is the examination of the skin and mouth.
The danger is Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM)
There is little doubt that the most important reason for this alert has not so much to do with the mild symptoms of a cold, but with a much more worrisome consequence.
Because experts link EV-D68 to acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).
A disease that mainly affects young children (accounting for more than 90% of cases), and it makes your muscles and your body’s reflexes weak.
It is a rare but serious neurological complication that can cause permanent paralysis or even death.
And while it’s true that, so far, the CDC has received no reports of AFM cases so far this year, it’s no less true that experts already know that spikes in EV-D68 infections tend to precede to AFM cases.
That is why it is important to see a doctor if any of these symptoms develop:
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Weakness in the arm or leg
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Pain in the neck, back, or extremities
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Difficulty to swallow
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difficulty speaking
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Difficulty moving the eyes
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drooping eyelids
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facial weakness
What should we know about EV-D68 and the risk of paralysis?
EV-D68 was first identified in 1962, though the CDC has been closely monitoring it only since 2014, when it caused a national outbreak of respiratory illness.
That year, the agency confirmed 1,395 cases in 49 states, though there were likely many thousands of additional unconfirmed mild cases.
In most people, it is an acute viral illness that comes and goes without major complications.
But although it is rare, in a few patients it can cause neurological symptoms such as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).
The data would suggest that approximately 10 percent of EV-D68 cases cause AFM, but all indications point to the proportion being greatly exaggerated, as many “EV D68” infections are mild and unreported. .
In any case, experts continue to investigate why the virus affects the nervous system and how some patients end up developing AFM after a viral infection.
How to protect ourselves from contagion?
Enteroviruses other than polio are spread by droplets or by contact, that is, when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches a surface that is then touched by others.
Therefore, the best preventive measures are those that we have already become accustomed to using since the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic began.
The most important thing is frequent hand washing, with soap and water or hydroalcoholic gel.
And in the event that someone is infected, the mask regains its importance to prevent the disease from spreading.
Experts also recommend special caution in the case of children with asthma, because they are at greater risk of severe symptoms if they are infected.
Is there treatment?
There is no specific treatment for AFM, but doctors may recommend physical or occupational therapy.
That is why it is so important to be aware and do the tests at the slightest suspicion. Because starting therapy…