Enterovirus Infection Linked to Acute Flaccid Myelitis

[Gemini]

Paper published in mBio August 13, 2019. Free Full Text copy available via PubMed.

Summary:

• Evidence of infection with an enterovirus was found in about 80% of people with acute flaccid myelitis.
• More research is needed to understand whether enterovirus infection contributes to the development of this rare but serious condition.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih...virus-infection-linked-acute-flaccid-myelitis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Lipkin+AND+AFM

These AFM study findings were presented at the NIH "Accelerating ME/CFS Research Conference" in April, 2019 by Ian Lipkin.

He said, at that time, the same advanced technologies used in AFM to look for viruses and antibodies--VirCapSeq-VERT and Serochip-- will now be used in his ME/CFS research.

Looking forward to his ME/CFS results...hope it won't take too long.

 

[Hip]

Interesting that Prof Lipkin was involved in this study. Lipkin has previously said that he does not think the evidence for enterovirus involvement in ME/CFS is convincing.

 

[bread.]

Do we have any idea when Lipkin will do these testings or present its findings?

 

[Jani]

After spending decades carefully avoiding the use of the word “cause” in relation to enteroviruses, the CDC has now conceded for the first time that Enterovirus D68 causes paralysis.

EV-D68 in the CSF of patient B is considered the cause of AFM in this patient.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6815a4.htm?s_cid=mm6815a4_w

 

[Gemini]

Do we have any idea when Lipkin will do these testings or present its findings?

@bread when Lipkin presented these AFM findings four months ago he said he first had to finish up his ME/CFS fungal work(blood, saliva, feces) then he would do these tests as part of his Center's major "Microbiology Project."

No timeline given, though.

 

[Gemini]

Interesting that Prof Lipkin was involved in this study. Lipkin has previously said that he does not think the evidence for enterovirus involvement in ME/CFS was convincing.

@Hip yes. I hope he carefully selects the ME/CFS samples he tests. This is about uncovering the "causative agent." He refers to the "hit and run" hypothesis in his AFM talk.

Given different agents are known to trigger ME/CFS (mono, HPV vaccination, influenza, etc.) he'd want to select patients who's trigger was most likely an enterovirus. I would guess a patient's history of exposure, symptoms particularly neurological, underlying immune status, etc. would be important.

It will be interesting to see what selection criteria he uses that's for sure.

 

[Gemini]

Interesting that Prof Lipkin was involved in this study. Lipkin has previously said that he does not think the evidence for enterovirus involvement in ME/CFS is convincing.

@Hip, interestingly Tony Fauci, NIAID Director, showcased the Acute Flaccid Myelitis enterovirus findings at his Sept 9, 2019 Advisory Council meeting the second time he's done so.

He said evidence is mounting that the non-polio enterovirus D68 is a cause of AFM to the point he has directed NIAID vaccine researchers to start development.

From Fauci's presentation:

@Pyrrhus @Jani

 

[Hip]

He said evidence is mounting that the non-polio enterovirus D68 is a cause of AFM to the point he has directed NIAID vaccine researchers to start development.

That great that they are thinking of an enterovirus D68 vaccine, with linked to paralysis of 100s of children; but it's crazy that nobody is pushing for a coxsackievirus B vaccine, as this virus is likely responsible for about half of all ME/CFS cases, which as we know is a life destroying illness that afflicts hundreds of thousands of people in the US alone.

 

[Gemini]

it's crazy that nobody is pushing for a coxsackievirus B vaccine, as this virus is likely responsible for about half of all ME/CFS cases, which as we know is a life destroying illness that afflicts hundreds of thousands of people in the US alone.

@Hip, excellent point. Hope Lipkin will address coxsackieviruses in his ME/CFS study.

Interestingly Fauci is so intrigued by the natural history of AFM he's given $10 million to study it as well:

That NIAID is taking an interest in enteroviruses is good, I think.

 

[gbells]

[That NIAID is taking an interest in enteroviruses is good, I think.

I think it's going to join the long list of uncurable viral infections and conditions. Not holding my breathe here.

Still good to see that enterovirus has deeper penetration than gut. So much for that infectious disease doc who told me that it is limited to certain cell types (gut).

 

[Pyrrhus]

Related discussion:

The return of Polio to the USA? Is paralysis being mis-diagnosed as FND?
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/thr...s-paralysis-being-mis-diagnosed-as-fnd.79074/