Abstract
We tested for enterovirus D68 in fecal samples collected during June–September 2016 from 567 patients with acute flaccid paralysis in 7 West Africa nations. Children <5 years old comprised 64.3% of enterovirus D68 positive patients. Our findings emphasize the need for active surveillance for acute flaccid myelitis.
Highlights
We tested for enterovirus D68 in fecal samples collected during June–September 2016 from 567 patients with acute flaccid paralysis in 7 West Africa nations
With no acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)- or acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)-specific surveillance data available, we analyzed fecal samples collected for polio surveillance to better understand the extent of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) associated with AFP in West Africa and the genetic diversity of identified strains
The 2014 EV-D68 outbreak coincided temporally and geographically with increases in cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a subtype of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as acute-onset flaccid weakness, combined with spinal cord lesions confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, largely restricted to the gray matter, and spanning >1 spinal segments [5]
Summary
We tested for enterovirus D68 in fecal samples collected during June–September 2016 from 567 patients with acute flaccid paralysis in 7 West Africa nations. EV-D68 identified in fecal samples from children with AFP [2]. With no AFM- or AFP-specific surveillance data available, we analyzed fecal samples collected for polio surveillance to better understand the extent of EV-D68 associated with AFP in West Africa and the genetic diversity of identified strains. EV-D68 has been reported in outbreaks in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Africa, affecting >2,287 persons worldwide [1,2,3,4].
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