A researcher’s report has indicated that a new viral strain commonly known as the enterovirus is the cause behind a paralysis condition in many children in the US, a condition that is similar to Polio. A simple estimation indicates that close to 115 children have been affected by the paralysis condition across the 34 states of the nation. However, there still many more questions to be answered regardless of the higher possibilities of this viral strain.
In their study and for better understanding, the researchers sampled 25 children from Colorado and California,who had been suffering from acute flaccid myelitis which is categorized under the main types of limb paralysis. They then collected the genetic sequence of enterovirus in them for purposes of examination which they would carry out using the “molecular clock analysis” method to get to their conclusion.
Upon finishing their examination, half of them were found to have enterovirus. As such, the researchers concluded that this viral strain which is known as B1 is a novel one and it belongs to enterovirus 68. The researchers further detected that the existence of this virus could have been around 41–42 years ago.
Charles Chiu who was the lead author of the study has since said that it is not possible to be a coincidence that the virus is appearing at the same time when the first cases are being described. He confirmed that B1 had appeared earlier in 2010.
However, the research does not indicate a definite or direct link that would confirm if the virus was found in the spinal fluid or not. The only definite would be that it provided some evidence which would link enterovirus D68 and paralysis.
Apparently, two of the affected children who were siblings and with the same strain both had colds but only one was suffering from paralysis. With this observation, the researchers concluded that environmental and immunological factors could also have played a crucial role in causing the paralysis. Sad enough, there is no known vaccine to protect the virus.