Ailment like polio mostly hits children - News - Citizens Voice

Posted: 04 Aug 2019 09:09 PM PDT

Article Tools

Q: What's the latest on the new children's disease that's kind of like polio? It's been all over the news, and like a lot of the moms around here, I'm getting worried.

A: You're referring to a rare and serious neurological condition that, as you mention, bears striking similarities to polio. Known as acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, it has so far been seen mostly in children. AFM results in extreme muscle weakness and even paralysis, mainly of the arms and legs. At this time, the leading suspect is a virus that attacks and causes damage to the spinal cord. Unlike polio, which is known to be caused by the poliovirus and for which we have an effective vaccine, the specific cause of AFM is not known, and there is no vaccine.

Acute flaccid myelitis is not a new condition, but it has been on the rise in recent years. Due to this steady increase in cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the illness in 2014. There have been 570 confirmed cases of the condition since that time, with an average patient age of 5 years. Last year, a total of 233 confirmed cases of AFM occurred in 41 states. This played a role in the CDC's decision to release an update about the condition in early July, which has put acute flaccid myelitis back into the headlines. The timing of this newest update is due to the observation that AFM has a "season," with the number of cases spiking in late summer and early fall.

Although cases of AFM are reported each year, outbreaks appear to surge every two years. The CDC reports that so far in 2019 — which, according to the previous pattern, is an "off" year for the condition — 11 cases of acute flaccid myelitis have been reported. However, because awareness of AFM is relatively recent, it's likely that undiagnosed cases have not made it into the official tallies.

The majority of cases begin with fever and respiratory symptoms similar to a cold or the flu. This is followed by neurological difficulties such as weakness in the arms or legs, a decrease in reflexes, facial weakness, drooping eyelids, difficulty moving the eyes, slurred speech and trouble swallowing. Occasionally, numbness or pain may be present, and in some cases, patients experience trouble breathing.

A lab test to diagnose the condition has not yet been developed, which makes vigilance by parents and health care providers about potential cases all the more important. Because the later symptoms of the condition can mirror those of other neurological diseases, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, AFM is difficult to diagnose. There is no known cure, so at this time, treatment focuses on physical and occupational therapy to restore movement.

ASK THE DOCTORS appears every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is written by Eve Glazier, M.D., and Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Send questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095.

2-year-old Nebraska girl battles cancer and rare polio-like disease - KETV Omaha

Posted: 22 Jul 2019 12:00 AM PDT

Resilience, thy name is Rosie!Rosie Kubik, who turns 3 Aug. 26, has not only had to defeat cancer but is now battling a rare and mysterious polio-like disease that almost killed her."From the beginning we've always said she is our red-headed warrior and she just fights every day," said Rosie's mother, Cassie Kubik.Kubik said Rosie was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 11 months old. Chemotherapy treatments had the cancer in remission last Halloween but then Rosie started throwing up and developed a fever of 104."Rosie was just kind of blah. She wasn't smiling. She wasn't waving. You could just tell something was wrong," Kubik said.Over the following two weeks, Rosie went to the emergency room eight times. She was getting worse."She stopped using her left hand. She was holding her neck weird and holding her arm weird," Kubik said."I just knew something was wrong. Like Rosie's left arm wouldn't work. Now it was the right arm."At one point, Kubik even asked if it could be acute flaccid myelitis, a neurological disease that causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. Doctors told her no.Two weeks later, Rosie went into complete respiratory failure.Kubik was right. It was AFM."She was intubated through her mouth and then she was completely paralyzed," Kubik said.She said at one point, Rosie's heart rate dropped to dangerous levels."There was a period of time when she didn't open her eyes. Like, her eyes were shut all the time. The doctors said they didn't have a prognosis for her and that was very scary," Kubik said.After months in an out of intensive care units, Rosie came to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital's Lincoln campus from her home in Jackson, Nebraska."She came on a ventilator. So she was unable to breathe on her own. And there was limited movement other than some facial muscles," said Dr Adam Kafka, the medical director at Madonna Rehabilitation.He said currently extensive therapy is only known treatment for AFM.A team of medical staff, consulting with Rosie's oncologist, came up with a game plan.It started with little movements. Then she was to hold up her head, sit, stand and move her arms. Rosie is now starting to walk on her own and talk."She's starting to take her socks off and feed herself and all kinds of great 2-year-old things. So she's made leaps and bounds," occupational therapist Kelly Bolz said.All along the way, Rosie's personality shines through."She laughs, thinks things are hilarious, loves making noises," physical therapist Sarah Economides said. Kafka said Rosie's progress shows there is hope but it's a long process."It's not weeks, it's months and sometimes years for people to get back to where they were," Kafka said.Rosie still faces a lot of challenges. Her immune system is weakened by her leukemia treatments. So everything needs to be wiped down. Anyone who comes in contact with Rosie needs to wear a mask.Family and friends started a fan group called Rosie's Renegades when she first started battling leukemia and a GoFundMe page. Rosie's aunt wrote what it means to be a renegade. Words that still hold true, according to Kubik."Being a renegade means being relentless, fighting every obstacle, big or small in our own lives. Rosie doesn't have a choice every day of what to do. Her choice was made by her cancer. And all she does every day is fight. Be grateful for what we have and fight through each challenges offering up our weakness for our sweet Rosie." Kubik hopes parents and doctors will be aware of the AFM symptoms and get treatment as soon as possible. She said early treatment can reduce the severity of the disease.AFM symptoms are: sudden weakness in arm or legs; loss of muscle tone and reflexes; stokelike facial droop or slurred speech and trouble swallowing; in some severe cases, such as Rosie's, trouble breathing.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most cases of AFM affect children 5 and younger. They tend to occur in late summer or early fall. Since the CDC started tracking AFM in 2014, there have been 570 confirmed cases. The cases spike every other year. in 2018, there were a record 233 cases in the United States. Five cases were in Nebraska and two in Iowa.So far in 2019 year there are 11 confirmed AFM cases in the U.S. One case is from Nebraska.

Resilience, thy name is Rosie!

Rosie Kubik, who turns 3 Aug. 26, has not only had to defeat cancer but is now battling a rare and mysterious polio-like disease that almost killed her.

"From the beginning we've always said she is our red-headed warrior and she just fights every day," said Rosie's mother, Cassie Kubik.

Kubik said Rosie was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 11 months old. Chemotherapy treatments had the cancer in remission last Halloween but then Rosie started throwing up and developed a fever of 104.

"Rosie was just kind of blah. She wasn't smiling. She wasn't waving. You could just tell something was wrong," Kubik said.

Over the following two weeks, Rosie went to the emergency room eight times. She was getting worse.

"She stopped using her left hand. She was holding her neck weird and holding her arm weird," Kubik said.

"I just knew something was wrong. Like Rosie's left arm wouldn't work. Now it was the right arm."

At one point, Kubik even asked if it could be acute flaccid myelitis, a neurological disease that causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. Doctors told her no.

Two weeks later, Rosie went into complete respiratory failure.

Kubik was right. It was AFM.

"She was intubated through her mouth and then she was completely paralyzed," Kubik said.

She said at one point, Rosie's heart rate dropped to dangerous levels.

"There was a period of time when she didn't open her eyes. Like, her eyes were shut all the time. The doctors said they didn't have a prognosis for her and that was very scary," Kubik said.

After months in an out of intensive care units, Rosie came to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital's Lincoln campus from her home in Jackson, Nebraska.

"She came on a ventilator. So she was unable to breathe on her own. And there was limited movement other than some facial muscles," said Dr Adam Kafka, the medical director at Madonna Rehabilitation.

He said currently extensive therapy is only known treatment for AFM.

A team of medical staff, consulting with Rosie's oncologist, came up with a game plan.

It started with little movements. Then she was to hold up her head, sit, stand and move her arms. Rosie is now starting to walk on her own and talk.

"She's starting to take her socks off and feed herself and all kinds of great 2-year-old things. So she's made leaps and bounds," occupational therapist Kelly Bolz said.

All along the way, Rosie's personality shines through.

"She laughs, thinks things are hilarious, loves making noises," physical therapist Sarah Economides said.

Kafka said Rosie's progress shows there is hope but it's a long process.

"It's not weeks, it's months and sometimes years for people to get back to where they were," Kafka said.

Rosie still faces a lot of challenges.

Her immune system is weakened by her leukemia treatments. So everything needs to be wiped down. Anyone who comes in contact with Rosie needs to wear a mask.

Family and friends started a fan group called Rosie's Renegades when she first started battling leukemia and a GoFundMe page. Rosie's aunt wrote what it means to be a renegade. Words that still hold true, according to Kubik.

"Being a renegade means being relentless, fighting every obstacle, big or small in our own lives. Rosie doesn't have a choice every day of what to do. Her choice was made by her cancer. And all she does every day is fight. Be grateful for what we have and fight through each challenges offering up our weakness for our sweet Rosie."

Kubik hopes parents and doctors will be aware of the AFM symptoms and get treatment as soon as possible. She said early treatment can reduce the severity of the disease.

AFM symptoms are: sudden weakness in arm or legs; loss of muscle tone and reflexes; stokelike facial droop or slurred speech and trouble swallowing; in some severe cases, such as Rosie's, trouble breathing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most cases of AFM affect children 5 and younger. They tend to occur in late summer or early fall. Since the CDC started tracking AFM in 2014, there have been 570 confirmed cases. The cases spike every other year. in 2018, there were a record 233 cases in the United States. Five cases were in Nebraska and two in Iowa.

So far in 2019 year there are 11 confirmed AFM cases in the U.S. One case is from Nebraska.

Search This Blog

Poliomyelitis