Another Colorado Child Falls Ill With Paralysis-Like Symptoms
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Doctors are investigating what's been leaving some children in Colorado with muscle weakness and paralysis-like symptoms.
On Monday doctors at Children's Hospital announced they now know of at least 10 young patients with the illness and some also suffer with a respiratory virus. Statewide there are 4,000 suspected cases of the rare respiratory virus.
All but four of the 10 children have been discharged from the hospital. Most all of them had a prior respiratory viral infection, and in some cases they were diagnosed as having enterovirus D68.
On Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was asked to send out a notice nationwide to find out if children in other cities were experiencing the same kind of muscle weakness after having the respiratory viral infection. It's still unclear how the viral illnesses and the muscle weakness might be related, and doctors say it could take some time to find that out.
"We haven't proven that the kids that we're seeing, these 10 children, this virus is causing that," Dr. Christine Nyquist with Children's Hospital said. "That's why we're really looking at the big picture and asking for help."
Doctors say they saw a spike in the number of respiratory viral infections cases about a week ago. Other hospitals along the Front Range, including Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, say they've also seen several cases.