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McMaster looking into neurological symptoms

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(Updated) McMaster Childrens Hospital says four patients in the last two weeks have shown polio-like symptoms.

Officials say it’s not clear if the neurological symptoms are related to EV-D68, but one of the patients has tested positive for the enterovirus strain.

The first patient displaying polio-like symptoms came to McMaster Children’s Hospital two weeks ago. And then, three more patients within the last week — all between the ages of 5 and 13.

Dr. Brandon Meaney, Head of Pediatric Neurology: “Each of them presented with fairly rapid onset of weakness involving just one arm or just one leg in a very restricted manner.”

Head of pediatric neurology at McMaster Children’s Hospital, Dr. Meaney says besides muscle weakness, the patients are feeling healthy: “We’ve seen some recovery already in some but the time frame is really more of months to see what will happen.”

One of the children has tested positive for enterovirus D68 — a respiratory illness that has hospitalized dozens of kids in Canada and the U.S. Meaney says they haven’t determined if EV-D68 is related to the neurologic complications, but they’re looking into it: “What we believe to be happening is that the enterovirus gets into the system and into the bloodstream and then attacks the spinal cord in a patchy way and can damage the cells that control the movement of the muscles.”

The Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program’s Virology Unit developed a test for EV-D68 and has identified 139 cases in the area since the end of August. Last week, head of virology Dr. Marek Smieja told CHCH this time of the year, the spread of enterovirus is common. But it’s unusual for one strain to dominate so much: “And so, we developed it in part just to keep tabs on it, to make sure we understand what it’s doing.”

While Dr. Meaney says the neurological symptoms are concerning from a medical perspective, this is not a cause for alarm: “Thousands and thousands of children have been exposed to this virus and with only 4 being affected, the odds are really very slim of any one child developing this.”

None of the patients have been completely paralysed. They’ve all experienced weakness in a limb but have had some residual strength left.

When doctors say weakness here, they don’t mean fatigue. They’re talking about children who are otherwise healthy but have developed difficulty moving one arm or one leg.

Meaney also noted that it seems EV-D68 has reached its peak in our region and is on the decline.

Additional video: Hamilton Health Sciences informational video for parents: