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Mutant Virus Spreads Silently, Fears Paralysis Outbreak
22 Nov
Summary
- A rare virus, EV-C105, is surging across Europe, with England as the epicenter.
- A new mutated form of the virus may be more severe and harder to detect.
- While often mild, the virus can cause paralysis and has been linked to infant death.
A concerning increase in enterovirus-C105 (EV-C105) cases has been detected across Europe, with England emerging as the primary epicentre. This virus, previously considered rare, saw 111 cases reported in 2023 across nine countries, a significant jump from previous years. The majority of these infections occurred in children, a trend that experts find particularly worrying.
A newly mutated form of EV-C105 is believed to be responsible for a portion of these recent cases, most of which were also identified in England. This variant is suspected to be more severe and potentially lead to more neurological complications. Furthermore, its ability to evade standard diagnostic tests raises fears that the true number of infections could be significantly higher, as it spreads undetected.
While EV-C105 often presents with mild, cold-like symptoms, it can, in rarer instances, trigger severe neurological problems such as acute flaccid paralysis and meningitis, particularly in children. It has also been associated with a case of sudden infant death syndrome. UK health officials have noted a decline in recent cases and stated that current UK tests can still detect the strain, but vigilance remains crucial.
