TY - JOUR
T1 - Using the Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance System to Identify Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis, Australia, 2000-2018
AU - Walker, Liz J.
AU - Thorley, Bruce R.
AU - Morris, Anne
AU - Elliott, Elizabeth J.
AU - Saul, Nathan
AU - Britton, Philip N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - Since 2012, the United States has reported a distinct syndrome of acute fl accid paralysis (AFP) with anterior myelitis, predominantly in children. This polio-like syndrome was termed acute fl accid myelitis (AFM). Australia routinely conducts AFP surveillance to exclude poliomyelitis. We reviewed 915 AFP cases in Australia for children <15 years of age during 2000-2018 and reclassifi ed a subset to AFM by using the US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists case defi nition. We confi rmed 37 AFM cases by using magnetic resonance imaging fi ndings and 4 probable AFM cases on the basis of cerebrospinal fl uid pleocytosis. Nonpolio enteroviruses were detected in 33% of AFM cases from which stool samples were tested. Average annual AFM incidence was 0.07 cases/100,000 person-years in children <15 years of age. AFM occurred sporadically in Australia before 2010 but regularly since then, indicating sustained, albeit rare, clinical manifestation in children. The AFP surveillance system in Australia is well-positioned to identify future AFM cases.
AB - Since 2012, the United States has reported a distinct syndrome of acute fl accid paralysis (AFP) with anterior myelitis, predominantly in children. This polio-like syndrome was termed acute fl accid myelitis (AFM). Australia routinely conducts AFP surveillance to exclude poliomyelitis. We reviewed 915 AFP cases in Australia for children <15 years of age during 2000-2018 and reclassifi ed a subset to AFM by using the US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists case defi nition. We confi rmed 37 AFM cases by using magnetic resonance imaging fi ndings and 4 probable AFM cases on the basis of cerebrospinal fl uid pleocytosis. Nonpolio enteroviruses were detected in 33% of AFM cases from which stool samples were tested. Average annual AFM incidence was 0.07 cases/100,000 person-years in children <15 years of age. AFM occurred sporadically in Australia before 2010 but regularly since then, indicating sustained, albeit rare, clinical manifestation in children. The AFP surveillance system in Australia is well-positioned to identify future AFM cases.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121684293&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3201/eid2801.211690
DO - 10.3201/eid2801.211690
M3 - Review article
SN - 1080-6040
VL - 28
SP - 20
EP - 28
JO - Emerging Infectious Diseases
JF - Emerging Infectious Diseases
IS - 1
ER -