Related Experiment Videos
Acute flaccid paralysis in Australian children
A M S Morris1, E J Elliott, R M D'Souza
1Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia.
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|January 25, 2003
Summary
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance in Australian children identified Guillain-Barré syndrome and transverse myelitis as the most common causes. This effort helped Australia achieve polio-free status.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease Surveillance
Background:
- Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance is crucial for detecting and controlling paralytic diseases in children.
- Australia implemented active surveillance to monitor AFP cases and causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the epidemiology and causes of AFP in Australian children.
- To detail the clinical features of Guillain-Barré syndrome and transverse myelitis, the most common causes of AFP.
Main Methods:
- Monthly active surveillance for AFP was conducted through the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit.
- AFP was defined as acute onset of flaccid paralysis in one or more limbs or bulbar paralysis in children under 15.
Main Results:
- 143 AFP cases were reported between March 1995 and December 1999 (0.8 per 100,000 children/year).
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (47%) and transverse myelitis (19%) were the most frequent diagnoses.
- No wild or vaccine-associated poliomyelitis cases were identified.
Conclusions:
- Paediatrician participation in AFP surveillance contributed to Australia's WHO polio-free accreditation.
- The surveillance provided essential data on AFP frequency and common causes in children.
- This study identified various non-polio causes of AFP, including Guillain-Barré syndrome and transverse myelitis.