Background: Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) can be caused by a number of conditions. A common preventable cause is poliomyelitis which is still being reported in Pakistan, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), also known as Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, is another common cause of acute flaccid paralysis. It is important to recognize GBS in childhood as parents consider all acute flaccid paralysis to be due to poliomyelitis. The present study was designed to know the frequency of different causes of acute flaccid paralysis in Hazara division.
Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of cases of acute flaccid paralysis reported from various districts of Hazara division during the period January 2003 to December 2004. Acute flaccid paralysis was diagnosed clinically through history and clinical examination. The underlying cause of acute flaccid paralysis was investigated by appropriate laboratory tests, such as serum electrolytes, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, electromyogram, nerve conduction study and stool culture for polio virus and other enteroviruses. Diagnosis of Poliomyelitis was confirmed by stool testing for poliovirus.
Results: 74 patients presented with AFP during the study period. 36 were male and 38 were female. Guillain Barre syndrome and enteroviral encephalopathy were the two leading causes of acute flaccid paralysis. Majority of the cases were reported from Mansehra district. Children of age groups 12 to 24 months and > 96 months constituted the majority (20% each).
Conclusion: Guillian Barre syndrome was the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis reported from various parts of Hazara division.
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Infect Dis Model
March 2025
Artificial Intelligence & Mathematical Modeling Lab (AIMM Lab), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St Room 500, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada.
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case surveillance is pivotal for the early detection of potential poliovirus, particularly in endemic countries such as Ethiopia. The community-based surveillance system implemented in Ethiopia has significantly improved AFP surveillance. However, challenges like delayed detection and disorganized communication persist.
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December 2024
World Health Organization, Expanded Programme on Immunization, Maternal Child Health and Nutrition, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Introduction: following the detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus in 2019 in Ethiopia, response activities have been conducted including strengthening disease surveillance activities.
Methods: trend analysis study design of acute flaccid paralysis and measles surveillance data for the years 2021 and 2022 for Southwest Ethiopia Region was used. The non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) rate and stool adequacy rates were used to assess the AFP surveillance.
J Appl Microbiol
December 2024
Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology.
Enteroviruses (EV) are a highly diverse group of viruses multiplying primarily in the gastrointestinal tract and/or the upper respiratory tract, initially distributed in two separate genera: Enterovirus and Rhinovirus, respectively. According to the similarities in genome organization and particle structure, rhinovirus species were later reclassified as also belonging to genus Enterovirus. Human EV infections are usually asymptomatic or causing mild clinical manifestations.
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December 2024
Infectious Diseases Department, Ibn Al Jazzar University Hospital, Kairouan, Tunisia.
Pneumococcal meningitis is the most severe bacterial meningitis rarely complicated by acute myelitis. We report a case of a 54-year-old female who presented with pneumococcal meningoencephalitis. After eight days of hospitalization, the patient presented a sudden onset of bilateral lower leg weakness and bladder and bowel sphincter dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluenza Other Respir Viruses
December 2024
Infection and Immunity Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
Enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68) was first identified in 1962 in pediatric patients with acute respiratory conditions in California, USA (US). From the 1970s to 2005, EV-D68 was underestimated due to limited data and serotyping methods. In 2014, the United States experienced outbreaks of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in children EV-D68 positive.
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