A few years ago children began developing mysterious symptoms after severe upper respiratory infections. Some of these kids went on to experience sudden paralysis. The overall picture looked like polio but tests were negative for this virus.
Enterovirus D-68
Last fall, investigators believed they had tracked cases of this paralysis to a mutated enterovirus called D68. It is a viral strain that behaves a lot like polio.
In its usual form it causes symptoms typical of the common cold. But the mutated version, labeled B1, seems far more dangerous.
Although it is still not completely clear whether this enterovirus is actually the cause of sudden onset paralysis in children, that is what scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, suspect.
Future Virus Behavior Is Unknown
Infectious disease experts do not know whether this enterovirus will return and cause more infections this year, but they remain vigilant.
Even more troubling, no one can say what the prognosis is for the paralyzed youngsters. Most have recovered some function, but none has recovered completely.
