Doctors see polio-like symptoms in enterovirus-68 patients.. ‘A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS’: Dr. Mark Gorman of Children’s Hospital discusses enterovirus-68 A Stanford doctor has suggested a link between enterovirus-68 and polio-like symptoms, but doctors at Children’s Hospital in Boston — who are monitoring four possible cases of the respiratory illness — say that while they also are seeing some alarming symptoms, they aren’t yet convinced of a link. “Now we have an outbreak of EV-D68 on a widespread basis and polio-like symptoms on a widespread basis,” said Dr. Keith Van Haren, an assistant professor of neurology at Stanford University. “It would be a really remarkable coincidence if these two events were unrelated.” Of the four Boston Children’s Hospital patients, aged 4 to 15 years old, Dr. Mark Gorman, director of pediatric neuroimmunology, said three have EV-68 tests pending, and one had a preliminary nasal sample that tested negative — not yet seen as a definitive result. But all are showing weakness in their limbs similar to polio symptoms. “I will emphasize from the outset that a relationship between the patients with polio-like symptoms and enterovirus-D68 is unclear at this time,” Gorman said. “We’re approaching each patient on a case by case basis ... for causes and to determine the appropriate treatment.” All of them had a respiratory illness in the two weeks before the onset of weakness in one or more of their limbs, he said. Those who had weakness in their legs had difficulty walking. But one patient was sent home after showing “clear improvement,” Gorman said. youtu.be/o5-0WK3X0sY
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 10:34:36 +0000