Cluster of Washington children with acute neurologic illnesses - 3 more suspected AFM cases admitted

[Emily]

Just heard this on the news. They said the children are from several counties, so I think that would rule out a point source of an environmental toxin in air or local drinking water.

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/8-wa...sses/461671111

8 Washington children admitted to Seattle Children's with acute neurologic illnesses

Updated: Oct 28, 2016 - 5:37 PM

 

[Emily]

http://komonews.com/news/local/6-year-old-boy-dies-of-rare-mystery-disease-spreading-in-wash-state

[h=1]6-year-old boy dies of rare mystery disease spreading in Wash. state[/h]
by Lee Stoll & KOMO Staff
SEATTLE - A mysterious illness that hospitalized several local children has now turned deadly.
A 6-year-old boy who has been treated for the disease for more than two weeks passed away Sunday night.
The boy, 6-year-old Daniel Ramirez of Bellingham, was one of eight children being treated at Seattle Children's Hospital for a disease that has baffled medical staff.
KOMO News spoke to Daniel's parents on Friday, and they said he was sent to the hospital with cold symptoms and dizziness. He was paralyzed within a few hours and never recovered...

The cold symptoms reported in the sad news above don't seem to agree with the earlier report that the illness appeared as a stomach infection, but maybe respiratory symptoms followed the stomach ache and were predominant by the time Daniel entered SCH.

http://q13fox.com/2016/10/27/bellingham-child-battles-mysterious-virus-that-is-attacking-his-brain/

[h=1]Bellingham boy battles mysterious virus attacking his brain; devastated parents plead for help[/h] Posted 9:46 PM, October 27, 2016, by Janet Kim, Updated at 10:42pm, October 27, 2016

....

Remembering happier days with their 6-year old brings them so much joy. But they say finding joy has been hard since October 15, when little Daniel was rushed to Seattle Children?s Hospital after contracting a virus that first appeared as a stomachache.
?His brain is swelling and he started to have seizures,? said Jose Ramirez.
As each day passes, the family says Daniel?s condition has only gotten worse. What?s more frustrating is that doctors don?t seem to know what the virus is that went from his stomach and is now attacking his brain...

 

[Emily]

I heard the mother of the boy that died on the radio today and remember her saying that the illness started with a headache, then a stomach ache, then throat pain and limb symptoms. (I heard no respiratory symptoms described.) It sounded like a very fast onset and they sought treatment quickly. So far he is not officially confirmed as AFM by CDC, but 2 children are.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/child-d...ry?id=43215357

Child Dies as Health Authorities Confirm 2 Cases of Rare Neurological Illness

• By Gillian Mohney

Nov 1, 2016, 1:50 PM ET

This is the case added to the possible cluster today and it is from a new county in WA state:

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-...-like-illness/

9th child hospitalized with mysterious, polio-like illness

Originally published November 1, 2016 at 11:25 am Updated November 1, 2016 at 11:44 am
Seattle Children’s hospital has recently treated nine children with a rare, polio-like illness. Two of those cases have been confirmed as being acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times)


By JoNel Aleccia Seattle Times health reporter



A Snohomish County child has been admitted to Seattle Children’s with symptoms of a rare, polio-like illness, bringing the total in the rare, mysterious cluster of Washington cases to nine, health officials said Tuesday. A 6-year-old Bellingham boy in the cluster has died...
... The new case comes a day after the death of a 6-year-old Bellingham boy, Jonathan Daniel Ramirez Porter, known as Daniel, who was suspected to have acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM.

Two of the children admitted to the hospital this fall have been confirmed to have AFM, an unusual disease with no clear cause characterized by limb weakness and paralysis, said Julie Graham, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Department of Health.

The rest of the children, including Daniel, have not been confirmed to have the condition, she added.
None of the cases shares a common infection, illness or other link. The children range in age from 3 to 14. They include three from King County, one from Snohomish County, one from Pierce, and two each from Franklin and Whatcom counties...

At least they do not share an infection that we have the capability to diagnose.

 

[Pathfinder]

October 28


Media Advisory

Media Contacts:
Washington State Department of Health: Julie Graham 360-810-1628
Seattle Childrens Hospital: Alyse Bernal 206-987-5213

Joint investigation into reports of eight illnesses from four WA counties: Children admitted to Seattle Childrens Hospital

Media briefing today at 4:00 p.m.
1610 NE 150th St, Shoreline, WA 98155​

Seattle WA: The Washington State Department of Health is leading a joint investigation into reports of eight children who were admitted to Seattle Children’s Hospital with acute neurologic illnesses. As part of our work to understand their symptoms, we are investigating the possibility of a condition known as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Public Health Seattle & King County, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with the Department of Health on the investigation. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of AFM.

AFM is a rare condition that can be caused by many different things; it affects the nervous system, specifically the spinal cord. Symptoms typically include sudden weakness in one or more arms or legs, along with loss of muscle tone and decreased or absent reflexes.

The exact cause of AFM is unknown. Many viruses and germs are linked to AFM, including common germs that can cause colds and sore throats, and respiratory infections. It can also be caused by poliovirus and non-polio enteroviruses, mosquito-borne viruses (such as West Nile Virus or Zika virus) and autoimmune conditions.

The eight children were admitted to the hospital with a range of types and severity of symptoms, but all had a loss of strength or movement in one or more arms or legs. The children are from four counties [King County - 3 children, Pierce County - 1 child, Franklin County- 2 children, and Whatcom County - 2 children]. The children range in age from 3 to 14 years. Three of the eight cases are currently hospitalized at Seattle Children’s Hospital and five have been released. Out of respect for patient privacy, no further information about specific patient cases can be provided.

"At Seattle Children’s, patient safety is our top priority and parents should rest assured that it is safe to bring their children to the hospital," said Dr. Mark Del Beccaro, chief medical officer at Seattle Children’s Hospital. "We are following our standard infection control protocols, including putting patients with symptoms of active respiratory infections in isolation so they do not have contact with any other patients."

Public Health Seattle & King County, the DOH and the CDC are in the process of further evaluating each case and conducting tests to determine if the patients meet the case definition for AFM, and if an underlying cause can be identified. However, the cause of any individual case of AFM can be hard to determine, and often, no cause is found. The CDC makes the final determination regarding whether these are confirmed cases of AFM or not.

"At this point there isn’t evidence that would point to a single source of illness among these cases," said Dr. Scott Lindquist, state infectious disease epidemiologist at the Department of Health. "However, this investigation is just getting underway and we’re looking at all possibilities as we try to understand what might have contributed to these illnesses."

There were no cases of AFM reported in Washington State last year, in 2014 there were two. There have been more than 50 cases of AFM in 24 states across the U.S. so far this year. For more information on AFM, visit the CDC website. A fact sheet about this investigation (PDF) is on the Department of Health’s website.
...
http://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/2016N...tInvestigation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


AFM Investigation


Several children in Washington have become ill with symptoms consistent with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). We don’t know what caused these cases, but Department of Health, together with the CDC, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Public Health-Seattle and King County is investigating these cases to understand what caused them. This page will be updated with the most recent case counts, the status and other developing information.
We will supply as much information as possible, while protecting the privacy of these children and their families.

Updated Information About the Cases

Last update: 11/02/2016

Case counts

• There have been nine reported cases (ranging from 3 and 14 years old)
• Two cases have been confirmed as AFM
• Seven cases are still being evaluated for AFM

Case status

• Five children have been released from the hospital
• Three children are currently hospitalized
• One child has died. (It is not known at this time if this child had AFM.)

The potential cases come from five Washington counties:

• King County, three children
• Franklin County, two children
• Pierce County, one child
• Snohomish County, one child
• Whatcom County, two children

http://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/AFMInvestigation

 

[Emily]

I put in the red highlights to mark the new information. 8 cases were determined to be AFM by the CDC neurologists. The death of 6-yr-old Daniel was ruled out as AFM. Hopefully the family will get some answers about what happened.
I haven't seen any reports of EV68 being found in connection with this cluster of AFM.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/AFMInvestigation

[h=1]AFM Investigation[/h] Several children in Washington have become ill with symptoms consistent with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). We don?t know what caused these cases, but Department of Health, together with the CDC, Seattle Children?s Hospital, Public Health-Seattle and King County is investigating these cases to understand what caused them. This page will be updated with the most recent case counts, the status and other developing information.
We will supply as much information as possible, while protecting the privacy of these children and their families.
[h=2]Updated Information About the Cases

Last update: 11/04/2016[/h] [h=3]Case counts[/h]

• There have been nine reported cases (ranging from 3 and 14 years old)
• Eight cases have been confirmed as AFM
• One case has been ruled out for AFM

[h=3]Case status[/h]

• Five children have been released from the hospital
• Three children are currently hospitalized

[h=3]The cases come from five Washington counties:[/h]

• King County, three children
• Franklin County, two children
• Pierce County, one child
• Snohomish County, one child
• Whatcom County, one child

There are some details about the 14-yr-old in eastern WA, (Pasco), who does have AFM. He was diagnosed with transverse myelitis after being flown to Seattle Children?s Hospital. Apparently AFM is considered a subset of TM.

https://www.gofundme.com/medical-expenses-for-cesar-martinez-2uzke3w?ssid=793624927&pos=1

 

[Emily]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...illness-confirmed-in-8-kids-not-boy-who-died/

[h=1]Rare, polio-like illness confirmed in 8 Washington kids, not boy who died[/h] Originally published November 4, 2016 at 3:40 pm Updated November 5, 2016 at 11:20 am
Eight of nine Washington children hospitalized this fall with a mysterious, polio-like illness have been confirmed to have acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM.
By JoNel Aleccia Seattle Times health reporter
Eight of nine Washington children hospitalized this fall with a mysterious, polio-like illness have been confirmed to have acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. The number does not include a 6-year-old Bellingham boy who died this week, federal and state health officials reported.
The cause of the Oct. 31 death of Jonathan Daniel Ramirez Porter, known as Daniel, is still under investigation, but officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitely ruled out AFM, a neurological illness that causes limb weakness and specific types of lesions on the spinal cord.
?He is absolutely not AFM,? said Dr. Jim Owens, a pediatric neurologist at Seattle Children?s.
The boy?s grandmother, Mitzie De Guzman, said Daniel?s family suspects he may have had a reaction to multiple vaccines required for school admission, plus a flu shot, given Sept. 28, more than two weeks before the child fell ill on Oct. 15. He was admitted later to Seattle Children?s and originally included in the cluster of suspected AFM cases....

 

[Emily]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...en-hospitalized-with-rare-polio-like-illness/

[h=1]3 more children hospitalized with rare, polio-like illness[/h] Originally published November 14, 2016 at 5:13 pm Updated November 14, 2016 at 5:27 pm






Three more children have been hospitalized with suspected acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in Washington. If those are confirmed, that would bring the total this fall in the state to 11.
By JoNel Aleccia Seattle Times health reporter

... The children are between the ages of 3 and 14 and all showed signs of weakness or paralysis in one or more limbs and distinctive spinal-cord changes that are required for a diagnosis of AFM, said Julie Graham, a spokeswoman for the Washington state Department of Health.

?What?s known about AFM is it?s not subtle,? Graham said. ?The reporting on it is likely to be fairly sufficient.?
Two of the new cases are from King County and one is from Spokane County, Graham said. One of the King County cases was hospitalized at Seattle Children?s and released, Graham said. The other King County child has been hospitalized at Mary Bridge Children?s Hospital in Tacoma. The Spokane County child remains hospitalized there, Graham said.
Of eight children previously hospitalized at Seattle Children?s, six have been released and two remain under care. The children fell ill starting in September.

 

[Emily]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...or-one-childs-hospitalization-in-king-county/

Polio-like illness not to blame for one child?s hospitalization in King County Originally published November 17, 2016 at 5:36 pm
Three potential new cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) were reported this week, but tests show one child did not have the condition.
By Seattle Times staff

http://mynorthwest.com/465962/doctors-say-polio-like-symptoms-in-children-not-linked-to-vaccines/

Doctors say polio-like symptoms in children not linked to vaccines
By KIRO Radio Staff, Staff report | November 18, 2016 @ 6:23 am Health officials are trying to dispel widespread rumors that the polio-like disease sickening local kids is caused by children?s vaccines.
Doctor Jeff Duchin of Public Health Seattle-King County says the information circulating on the Internet isn?t true...

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article115562978.html

November 17, 2016 6:34 PM
Pasco teen recovering after mysterious, paralyzing illness
By Cameron Probert
...

He began feeling sick during two weeks in early October.
His trips to the hospital started with a case of bronchitis. After recovering, he came down with what he described as a strange case of the flu. It felt like electric currents pulsing in his arms and legs.
The next bout of illness hit him three days later.
?I felt really weak in my legs. I couldn?t stand,? he said. ?I tried to go to the restroom, and I fell.?
His father Pedro Martinez and sister Yuliana, 26, found him on the floor, unable to stand ? one leg and arm paralyzed.

I've heard of at least one case of whooping cough being misdiagnosed as bronchitis at first, then the person got sicker on steroids.