Children hospitalised on suspicion of polio-type virus

● Health bosses investigate possible cluster of rare bug with paralysis risk

Four children have been admitted to hospital on suspicion of contracting a poliolike virus which carries a risk of paralysis, reports suggest.

A small cluster of children from the south east of Scotland are thought to have been struck by enterovirus D68, a rare respiratory bug that spreads through coughs and sneezes.

The virus, which has no cure or anti-viral vaccine, can leave patients unable to walk and unable to breathe or swallow in the most extreme cases.

The Scottish cases are all being treated at the Sick Kids Hospital, in Edinburgh.

It is understood that the four primary-age children had struggled to move their limbs, while two are believed to have been in intensive care.

The health board would not confirm their condition yesterday but reported that all the children were now testing negative for the virus.

Dr Kate Templeton, chair of incident management team and a consultant clinical scientist at NHS Lothian, said: “We have been investigating a possible cluster of patients infected with enterovirus D68.

“The patients are all now testing negative for the virus and are being cared for at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh.”

Health protection officials said there have been 36 cases across Scotland in 2016, mostly among children up to 12 years old who are more vulnerable as they are less likely to have built up immunity to the virus.

There were only 14 cases in the UK last year, according to the watchdog Public Health England, which recently issued guidance about the virus to parents south of the border.

Leading Scots microbiol-

DR KATE TEMPLETON ogist Professor Hugh Pennington said there are no existing vaccinations for the condition as the strain was unusual and neurological effects were even more rare.

He said: “Doing tests for EV is quite a complicated thing. It’s not something they do in the lab every day by any means, which may be why they have now said the patients test negative for the virus.

“Normally speaking these kinds of viruses are not particularly serious, although some can be.

“It is not common enough to develop a vaccine, as you have to offset it against the cost of providing that for the wider public.

“There have been some outbreaks, not in the UK mostly, because the relationship to outbreaks tends to relate to hygiene levels.”

A Health Protection Scotland (HPS) spokesperson said: “HPS is aware of 36 detections of EV-D68 in Scotland in 2016, mainly in children.

“We have issued two professional briefings to the NHS on EV-D68 to date – on 23 September and 5 October.”

The D68 strain is a nonpolio virus but it can cause severe respiratory illness and has been associated with polio-like neurological symptoms such as paralysis and meningoencephalitis, a condition similar to meningitis.

The public are advised to take sensible hygiene precautions such as avoiding contact with people with colds.

“We have been investigating a possible cluster of patients infected with enterovirus D68”