Utah health officials address mystery illness suspected of killing Seattle-area child, infecting others

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 1, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A rare, polio-like syndrome –suspected to have paralyzed then claimed the life of a 6-year-old Seattle area boy on Sunday night and may have afflicted several others — also has been reported in Utah.

Two cases of Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) were discovered in children here since the beginning of 2016, according to the Utah Department of Health.

Although the Utah physicians involved did not report their patients’ outcome, death is reported to be rare. A more common outcome is some degree of paralysis. In some very mild cases, the paralysis has been temporary, according to reports. In other cases, effects are permanent.

“It’s a syndrome, so we don’t know the exact causes of it,” said Gregg Reed, surveillance epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health. “That’s what we are looking into right now.”

Research is ongoing, but currently there is no cure for AFM.

According to information from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only 50 people in 24 states have been confirmed to have AFM. That makes the chances of getting it less than one in a million. Still, an increase in cases since last year is a cause for concern to the CDC.

Physicians in Utah and nationwide have been asked to report suspected cases of Acute flaccid myelitis to their state health departments, which in turn forward information to the CDC.

“Starting in 2014, there was an increase of respiratory disease among children in some states, primarily Colorado,” Reed said. “We don’t know the virus that is associated with Acute flaccid myelitis, so what we are looking for is limb weakness, then we can look at the actual case.”

Symptoms often follow a respiratory illness, according to the CDC. The limb weakness often comes on suddenly, Reed said. According to the CDC, some patients also experience weakness in their facial muscles, evident by a facial or eye droop, difficulty moving their eyes, problems swallowing, or slurred speech.

Reed said after the sudden weakness is detected, the next step is to check spinal fluid for a high white blood cell count. If that is detected, magnetic resonance imaging (an MRI) of the spinal column should be taken to determine the presence of lesions.

If a case is confirmed, the CDC may do additional tests on specimens collected by physicians. Reed said the CDC has funding and equipment access that doctors’ offices lack.

There is no established treatment for AFM, but a doctor who specializes in treating brain and spinal cord illnesses may recommend certain interventions on a case-by-case basis, according to the CDC.

The CDC has issued guidelines to cut down on people’s exposure to germs and viruses:

• Be up to date on all recommended vaccines, including polio virus.
• Protect yourself from mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile virus — another known cause of acute flaccid myelitis — by using mosquito repellent and staying indoors at dusk and dawn, which is the prime period that mosquitoes bite. Remove standing or stagnant water from nearby property to minimize the number of mosquitoes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after blowing your nose, going to the bathroom or changing a diaper; or touching an animal or its food, feces or urine. Wash your hands before you touch food.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Use disinfectant to clean surfaces, especially those that have been touched by a sick person.

The Washington state boy who died, Daniel Ramirez, of Bellingham, was one of eight children being treated at Seattle Children’s Hospital who had similar symptoms. AFM has not yet been confirmed, but is strongly suspected in the Ramirez case.