Khaberni - Health experts have warned of the spread of a mutated virus that silently resembles common colds in England, after it was linked to cases of paralysis in children and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), amid a noticeable rise in the number of cases this year.
The virus is known as Enterovirus-C105 (EV-C105), a rare disease that had limited outbreaks for more than a decade, before Europe recently recorded the first significant increase in the number of infections.
The ESCAIDE conference in Warsaw last week reported 111 cases in nine European countries in 2023, compared with only 27 cases over the past 15 years since the virus was first discovered, according to the British newspaper "The Sun".
Most of the infections were recorded among children, which experts described as "concerning," with nearly two-thirds of the cases (80 cases) detected in England, making it the most recent and largest hotbed of the outbreak.
In most people, the virus causes mild symptoms similar to the common cold, such as fever, cough, and chest pain. However, in rare cases, particularly among children, it can lead to neurological problems including paralysis similar to acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), encephalitis, and meningitis.
The virus was also linked to the death of a nine-month-old infant, who was found to be infected with several viruses, including EV-C105.
Dr. Laura Buba, a microbiologist at the World Health Organization, confirmed that the mutated version of the virus is more severe, leading to an increase in neurological cases compared to the original strain, indicating that the virus had evolved, raising concerns that the actual number of infections could be much higher during its silent spread.
According to new data from the European Non-Polio Enterovirus Network, the results showed that 7% of the infected children exhibited neurological symptoms, which Professor Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia considered "the most worrying aspects that need to be closely monitored".
However, health authorities in the United Kingdom emphasized that mutation does not necessarily increase the severity of the virus. Christina Selma from the British Health Security Agency said, "Outbreaks of enteroviruses usually come and go, but this does not prevent the possibility of more serious problems in the coming months".
Enteroviruses
Enteroviruses are a large family of viruses that typically cause mild diseases such as colds, rashes, and stomach disorders, but some types, like EV-D68 and EV-A71, have previously caused outbreaks of paralysis similar to polio among young children.
EV-C105 was first discovered in 2010 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a child who died from acute paralysis, and since then, cases have sporadically appeared around the world, Christina Selma confirmed that UK laboratories have so far been able to detect the virus despite its mutations.
The virus presents symptoms similar to other winter viruses, such as fever, cough, sore throat, and colds accompanied by chest pain. Authorities have warned parents of the need to seek medical care immediately if severe symptoms such as severe headaches, neck stiffness, difficulty moving limbs, weakness or limpness in the hands or feet, or difficulty in breathing appear in a child.
