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Acute Flaccid Paralysis: The New, The Old, and The Preventable
N Macesic1, V Hall2, A Mahony3
1Departments of Infectious Diseases; Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York.
Open Forum Infectious Diseases
|January 21, 2016
Summary
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) epidemiology is shifting with polio and emerging causes like West Nile virus (WNV). A case in the Horn of Africa, initially suspected as polio, was confirmed as WNV-induced AFP.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) presents a dynamic epidemiological landscape.
- Polio remains a concern, alongside emerging etiologies like nonpolio enteroviruses and West Nile virus (WNV).
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of AFP in the Horn of Africa.
- To highlight the diagnostic challenges and the role of WNV as an emerging cause of AFP.
Main Methods:
- Clinical case reporting.
- Diagnostic investigation of AFP etiology.
Main Results:
- A case of AFP initially suspected as polio was identified.
- The confirmed etiology of the AFP case was West Nile virus (WNV).
Conclusions:
- West Nile virus (WNV) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), especially in regions with ongoing transmission.
- The changing epidemiology of AFP necessitates broad etiological investigations beyond poliovirus.
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