1887
Research Open Access
Like 0

Abstract

Background

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a polio-like condition affecting mainly children and involving the central nervous system (CNS). AFM has been associated with different non-polio-enteroviruses (EVs), in particular EV-D68 and EV-A71. Reliable incidence rates in European countries are not available.

Aim

To report AFM incidence in children in the Netherlands and its occurrence relative to EV-D68 and EV-A71 detections.

Methods

In 10 Dutch hospitals, we reviewed electronic health records of patients diagnosed with a clinical syndrome including limb weakness and/or CNS infection and who were < 18 years old when symptoms started. After excluding those with a clear alternative diagnosis to AFM, those without weakness, and removing duplicate records, only patients diagnosed in January 2014–December 2019 were retained and further classified according to current diagnostic criteria. Incidence rates were based on definite and probable AFM cases. Cases’ occurrences during the study period were co-examined with laboratory-surveillance detections of EV-D68 and EV-A71.

Results

Among 143 patients included, eight were classified as definite and three as probable AFM. AFM mean incidence rate was 0.06/100,000 children/year (95% CI: −0.03 to 0.14). All patient samples were negative for EV-A71. Of respiratory samples in seven patients, five were EV-D68 positive. AFM cases clustered in periods with increased EV-D68 and EV-A71 detections.

Conclusions

AFM is rare in children in the Netherlands. The temporal coincidence of EV-D68 circulation and AFM and the detection of this virus in several cases’ samples support its association with AFM. Increased AFM awareness among clinicians, adequate diagnostics and case registration matter to monitor the incidence.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.42.2200157
2022-10-20
2024-11-21
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.42.2200157
Loading
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/eurosurveillance/27/42/eurosurv-27-42-6.html?itemId=/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.42.2200157&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Murphy OC, Messacar K, Benson L, Bove R, Carpenter JL, Crawford T, et al. Acute flaccid myelitis: cause, diagnosis, and management. Lancet. 2021;397(10271):334-46.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32723-9  PMID: 33357469 
  2. Messacar K, Asturias EJ, Hixon AM, Van Leer-Buter C, Niesters HGM, Tyler KL, et al. Enterovirus D68 and acute flaccid myelitis-evaluating the evidence for causality. Lancet Infect Dis. 2018;18(8):e239-47.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30094-X  PMID: 29482893 
  3. Schubert RD, Hawes IA, Ramachandran PS, Ramesh A, Crawford ED, Pak JE, et al. Pan-viral serology implicates enteroviruses in acute flaccid myelitis. Nat Med. 2019;25(11):1748-52.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0613-1  PMID: 31636453 
  4. Messacar K, Spence-Davizon E, Osborne C, Press C, Schreiner TL, Martin J, et al. Clinical characteristics of enterovirus A71 neurological disease during an outbreak in children in Colorado, USA, in 2018: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020;20(2):230-9.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30632-2  PMID: 31859216 
  5. Dyda A, Stelzer-Braid S, Adam D, Chughtai AA, MacIntyre CR. The association between acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) and Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) - what is the evidence for causation? Euro Surveill. 2018;23(3).  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.3.17-00310  PMID: 29386095 
  6. Yea C, Bitnun A, Robinson J, Mineyko A, Barton M, Mah JK, et al. Longitudinal outcomes in the 2014 acute flaccid paralysis cluster in Canada. J Child Neurol. 2017;32(3):301-7.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073816680770  PMID: 28193112 
  7. Messacar K, Schreiner TL, Van Haren K, Yang M, Glaser CA, Tyler KL, et al. Acute flaccid myelitis: A clinical review of US cases 2012-2015. Ann Neurol. 2016;80(3):326-38.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.24730  PMID: 27422805 
  8. McKay SL, Lee AD, Lopez AS, Nix WA, Dooling KL, Keaton AA, et al. Increase in acute flaccid myelitis - United States, 2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67(45):1273-5.  https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6745e1  PMID: 30439867 
  9. Harvala H, Benschop KSM, Berginc N, Midgley S, Wolthers K, Simmonds P, et al. European Non-Polio Enterovirus Network: Introduction of hospital-based surveillance network to understand the true disease burden of non-polio enterovirus and parechovirus infections in Europe. Microorganisms. 2021;9(9):1827.  https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091827  PMID: 34576722 
  10. Bubba L, Broberg EK, Jasir A, Simmonds P, Harvala H, Redlberger-Fritz M, et al. Circulation of non-polio enteroviruses in 24 EU and EEA countries between 2015 and 2017: a retrospective surveillance study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020;20(3):350-61.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30566-3  PMID: 31870905 
  11. Poelman R, Schuffenecker I, Van Leer-Buter C, Josset L, Niesters HGM, Lina B, et al. European surveillance for enterovirus D68 during the emerging North-American outbreak in 2014. J Clin Virol. 2015;71:1-9.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2015.07.296  PMID: 26364237 
  12. Midgley SE, Benschop K, Dyrdak R, Mirand A, Bailly JL, Bierbaum S, et al. Co-circulation of multiple enterovirus D68 subclades, including a novel B3 cluster, across Europe in a season of expected low prevalence, 2019/20. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(2):1900749.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.2.1900749  PMID: 31964463 
  13. Knoester M, Helfferich J, Poelman R, Van Leer-Buter C, Brouwer OF, Niesters HGM, et al. Twenty-nine cases of enterovirus-D68-associated acute flaccid myelitis in Europe 2016: A case series and epidemiologic overview. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2019;38(1):16-21.  https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000002188  PMID: 30234793 
  14. González-Sanz R, Casas-Alba D, Launes C, Muñoz-Almagro C, Ruiz-García MM, Alonso M, et al. Molecular epidemiology of an enterovirus A71 outbreak associated with severe neurological disease, Spain, 2016. Euro Surveill. 2019;24(7):1800089.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.7.1800089  PMID: 30782267 
  15. Williams CJ, Thomas RH, Pickersgill TP, Lyons M, Lowe G, Stiff RE, et al. Cluster of atypical adult Guillain-Barré syndrome temporally associated with neurological illness due to EV-D68 in children, South Wales, United Kingdom, October 2015 to January 2016. Euro Surveill. 2016;21(4):30119.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.4.30119  PMID: 26848143 
  16. The United Kingdom Acute Flaccid Paralysis Afp Task Force. An increase in reports of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in the United Kingdom, 1 January 2018-21 January 2019: early findings. Euro Surveill. 2019;24(6):1900093.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.6.1900093  PMID: 30755296 
  17. Meijer A, van der Sanden S, Snijders BEP, Jaramillo-Gutierrez G, Bont L, van der Ent CK, et al. Emergence and epidemic occurrence of enterovirus 68 respiratory infections in The Netherlands in 2010. Virology. 2012;423(1):49-57.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2011.11.021  PMID: 22177700 
  18. Meijer A, Benschop KS, Donker GA, van der Avoort HG. Continued seasonal circulation of enterovirus D68 in the Netherlands, 2011-2014. Euro Surveill. 2014;19(42):20935.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES2014.19.42.20935  PMID: 25358039 
  19. Benschop KS, Rahamat-Langendoen JC, van der Avoort HG, Claas EC, Pas SD, Schuurman R, et al. VIRO-TypeNed, systematic molecular surveillance of enteroviruses in the Netherlands between 2010 and 2014. Euro Surveill. 2016;21(39):30352.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.39.30352  PMID: 27719752 
  20. Niesters HG, Rossen JW, van der Avoort H, Baas D, Benschop K, Claas EC, et al. Laboratory-based surveillance in the molecular era: the TYPENED model, a joint data-sharing platform for clinical and public health laboratories. Euro Surveill. 2013;18(4):20387.  https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.18.04.20387-en  PMID: 23369392 
  21. Donker G. NIVEL Zorgregistraties Eerste Lijn - Peilstations 2018. [Nivel Primary Care Registrations - Sentinel Stations 2018.]. Utrecht: Nivel; 2019.
  22. Donker GA. NIVEL Primary Care Database - Sentinel Practices. 2015. Utrecht: Nivel; 2019.
  23. van Dissel JT, Meijer A. Enterovirus type D68 en acute slappe verlamming: een nieuw duo? Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2017;161:D1825. PMID: 28832298 
  24. Kane MS, Sonne C, Zhu S, Malhotra A, Van Haren K, Messacar K, et al. Incidence, risk factors and outcomes among children with acute flaccid myelitis: a population-based cohort study in a California Health Network between 2011 and 2016. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2019;38(7):667-72.  https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000002276  PMID: 30985511 
  25. Van Haren K, Ayscue P, Waubant E, Clayton A, Sheriff H, Yagi S, et al. Acute flaccid myelitis of unknown etiology in California, 2012-2015. JAMA. 2015;314(24):2663-71.  https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.17275  PMID: 26720027 
  26. Antona D, Kossorotoff M, Schuffenecker I, Mirand A, Leruez-Ville M, Bassi C, et al. Severe paediatric conditions linked with EV-A71 and EV-D68, France, May to October 2016. Euro Surveill. 2016;21(46).  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.46.30402  PMID: 27918268 
  27. Sejvar JJ, Lopez AS, Cortese MM, Leshem E, Pastula DM, Miller L, et al. Acute flaccid myelitis in the United States, August-December 2014: Results of nationwide surveillance. Clin Infect Dis. 2016;63(6):737-45.  https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciw372  PMID: 27318332 
  28. Bruijstens AL, Lechner C, Flet-Berliac L, Deiva K, Neuteboom RF, Hemingway C, et al. E.U. paediatric MOG consortium consensus: Part 1 - Classification of clinical phenotypes of paediatric myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorders. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2020;29:2-13.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpn.2020.10.006  PMID: 33162302 
  29. Martin JA, Messacar K, Yang ML, Maloney JA, Lindwall J, Carry T, et al. Outcomes of Colorado children with acute flaccid myelitis at 1 year. Neurology. 2017;89(2):129-37.  https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004081  PMID: 28615421 
  30. Benschop KS, Albert J, Anton A, Andrés C, Aranzamendi M, Armannsdóttir B, et al. Re-emergence of enterovirus D68 in Europe after easing the COVID-19 lockdown, September 2021. Euro Surveill. 2021;26(45):2100998.  https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.45.2100998  PMID: 34763750 
  31. Harvala H, Broberg E, Benschop K, Berginc N, Ladhani S, Susi P, et al. Recommendations for enterovirus diagnostics and characterisation within and beyond Europe. J Clin Virol. 2018;101:11-7.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcv.2018.01.008  PMID: 29414181 
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.42.2200157
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Supplementary data

Submit comment
Close
Comment moderation successfully completed
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error