A respiratory virus linked to a rare, polio-like condition in children is on the rise in the U.S., according to a Sept. 17 NBC News report.
Wastewater surveillance shows increasing levels of enterovirus D68, experts told the news outlet. The virus typically causes mild symptoms, but in rare cases, it has been linked to acute flaccid myelitis, known as AFM, among children. AFM is a complication of infection with enterovirus that causes sudden limb weakness. There is no treatment for the condition and many patients are left with lasting paralysis.
Rising levels of EV-D68 in the nation's wastewater suggest a spike in AFM could be on the horizon this year, experts say.
The nation first saw a spike in AFM in 2014, when 120 children were diagnosed with the condition. Since then, larger spikes in cases have occurred every other year. In 2016, there were 153 cases and in 2018, there were 238. There was a lull in 2020, likely due to COVID-19 mitigation measures that kept EV-D68 circulation at lower levels.
In 2022, when widespread COVID-19 prevention measures had dissipated, enterovirus activity picked up again and experts had anticipated another spike in AFM cases. That did not materialize, and experts said it could be due to changes in the ED-D68 virus itself or higher levels of immunity among the population.
Read more about the virus and AFM here.