Virus that can cause polio-like paralysis in children on the rise in California - and there is no known cure

Most healthcare providers are not able test specifically for the virus, making diagnosis tricky

A virus that can lead to polio-like paralysis in children is on the rise in California - and there is no known cure.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) was detected at a medium level at 20 wastewater sites up and down the state, according to data collected by WasteWaterSCAN, a nonprofit launched amid the Covid pandemic.

Those sites included facilities in Los Angeles and San Diego but the majority were clustered around the San Francisco Bay Area.

The virus was also detected in 333 of 443 samples taken across the country over the past 10 days. No sites have reported it at high levels, but 106 were listed at a medium level.

Children are more vulnerable to infection from enteroviruses like enterovirus. (CDC)

Viruses like Covid and EV-D68 are shed through waste, and wastewater data can be used to measure the level of infection in a particular region.

This virus, in particular, is concerning because of its effects on children. Around 90 per cent of cases occur in children, and there is no known treatment, reports the LA Times.

Infants, children, and teenagers are the most likely to be infected with enteroviruses, because they do not yet have immunity from previous exposure.

EV-D68 typically causes respiratory illness. Infections are more likely during the summer and fall, when the weather is warmer, but can occur at any time during the year, while children with asthma may be at higher risk of severe illness from the virus.

Symptoms can include a runny nose, sneezing, a cough, and body and muscle aches for mild cases. Serious symptoms include wheezing and trouble breathing.

The virus can also cause acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which is a rare and dangerous neurological condition mostly affecting children. It weakens the muscles and reflexes in the body, and can lead to permanent paralysis. Symptoms of AFM include arm or leg weakness, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, facial drooping or weakness, difficulty moving the eyes, drooping eyelids, and pain in the neck, back, arms, or legs.

A doctor uses an inhaler on a little boy with asthma. Children with asthma are particularly susceptible to EV-D68. (CDC)

This year, the CDC has confirmed 13 cases of AFM in 10 states, including California, as of September 3. EV-D68 is able to spread from an infected individual’s coughs and sneezes, as well as when others touch the same surface they touched.

There are currently no vaccines to prevent infection, and diagnosis can be time-consuming. Most healthcare providers are not able to test for EV-D68, and it can only be diagnosed by doing lab tests on specimens from a person’s nose, throat or blood.

While doctors can test sick patients to see if they are infected with an enterovirus, often using PCR tests, most hospitals and doctors cannot do specific testing to determine the type of enterovirus.

Non-polio enteroviruses, like EV-D68, cause about 10 to 15 million infections and tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year across the US. EV-D68 was first identified in California in the early 1960s.