Virus that can paralyze children spiking in wastewater

(NewsNation) — A poliolike virus that can cause paralysis in children and teens is spiking again, U.S. wastewater data shows.

Enterovirus D68 has been rising, according to data from WastewaterSCAN, a national surveillance system run by researchers at two universities. They say the presence of the virus has increased since early August, which could be an early warning sign of an outbreak.

EV-D68 is part of a family of viruses known as enteroviruses, which are named for the transmission route, through the intestines. They are mainly spread through unwashed hands but can also be spread through respiratory droplets caused by sneezing or coughing.

Polio is one of the more severe enteroviruses, which otherwise typically cause only mild symptoms. In most cases, enteroviruses, including EV-D68, cause mild respiratory illness. But in some cases, people infected with EV-D68 develop a condition called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which causes sudden limb weakness, slurred speech and pain in the limbs and back. In some cases, it can progress to paralysis that includes respiratory paralysis, which is life-threatening, and in some cases, the paralysis may become permanent.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people of any age can contract EV-D68. But children and teens are at the highest risk because they haven’t developed the same immunity adults have gained through exposure. Children are also at higher risk for severe illness, and children with asthma are considered high-risk for disease.

Research shows EV-D68 has mutated to become more similar to polio and has caused outbreaks of AFM around every two years. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, interrupted the spread of other viruses because of public health measures like social distancing and masking.

In 2022, EV-D86 reemerged but caused just 47 cases of AFM, compared to 153 cases in 2016 and 240 cases in 2018. In 2024, so far there have only been 13 reported cases of AFM.

It’s too early to say whether EV-D68 has mutated in a way that makes it less likely to cause AFM, but scientists are monitoring the virus. The National Institutes of Health is also sponsoring a clinical trial testing a lab antibody that would neutralize EV-D68 before AFM develops. That treatment, however, is still years away from being available if it’s proven to work.

The best ways to prevent the spread of EV-D68 are the same as for other respiratory illnesses, including proper hand-washing, social distancing, masking and staying home from work or school when sick.

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