Since last summer, more than 100 children across 34 states have been stricken with a paralysis-causing polio-like illness that had stumped physicians trying to find the cause of the mysterious condition.
The UCSF research team found the genetic signature of enterovirus D68 in roughly half of the California and Colorado children diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis. They were unable to find any other pathogen capable of causing the symptoms the children experienced, even after thoroughly checking the cerebrospinal fluid for infectious agents.
When analyzing the genetic sequences of EV-D68 in the diagnosed children, they discovered all the young patients had a new strain of the virus — known as strain B1 — in common. Mutations of the new strain are similar to those found in poliovirus and other nerve-damaging viruses, like EV-D70.
The B1 strain was found in both respiratory secretions of the patients and in the blood sample of one of the children whose acute paralytic illness was worsening. EV-D68 was also identified in a pair of siblings, only one of whom developed acute flaccid myelitis.
“This suggests that it’s not only the virus, but also patients’ individual biology that determines what disease they may present with,” said Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, senior author of the study. “Given that none of the children have fully recovered, we urgently need to continue investigating this new strain of EV-D68 and its potential to cause acute flaccid myelitis.”
More articles on EV-D68:
Mysterious polio-like virus continues to stump physicians
Research finds potential treatment for enterovirus D68
CDC develops faster test for enterovirus D68
