Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that a virus is to blame for a mysterious illness that can quickly paralyze children. The very rare condition, called acute flaccid myelitis or AFM, is similar to the polio disease. The first reports of the disease came from the American state of California in 2012. Since then, the U.S. has experienced an increasingly bigger outbreak every other year, from late summer into autumn. Doctors have long believed that certain viruses known as enteroviruses caused AFM. But they did not have enough evidence to prove it. So researchers tried something new. They checked patients’ spinal fluid for signs the immune system had fought an invading virus. Children who got sick had antibodies that target enteroviruses.
Title: Study Suggests Virus Cause of Paralyzing Illness in Children
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/viri.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Study Suggests Virus Cause of Paralyzing Illness in Children' data-article-id='4283'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13021'>Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that a virus is to blame for a mysterious illness that can quickly paralyze children.</span> <span data-start-time='13021' data-end-time='25292'>The very rare condition, called acute flaccid myelitis or AFM, is similar to the polio disease.</span> <span data-start-time='25292' data-end-time='34167'>The first reports of the disease came from the American state of California in 2012.</span> <span data-start-time='34167' data-end-time='46875'>Since then, the U.S. has experienced an increasingly bigger outbreak every other year, from late summer into autumn.</span> <span data-start-time='46875' data-end-time='56292'>Doctors have long believed that certain viruses known as enteroviruses caused AFM.</span> <span data-start-time='56292' data-end-time='61604'>But they did not have enough evidence to prove it.</span> <span data-start-time='61604' data-end-time='65729'>So researchers tried something new.</span> <span data-start-time='65729' data-end-time='75125'>They checked patients’ spinal fluid for signs the immune system had fought an invading virus.</span> <span data-start-time='75125' data-end-time='81646'>Children who got sick had antibodies that target enteroviruses.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/viri.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=13992 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/what_does_paralyze_mean.wav'>What does paralyze mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='unable to move'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/caused_by_a_virus.wav'><span>caused by a virus</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/unable_to_move.wav'><span>unable to move</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/outbreak_of_disease.wav'><span>outbreak of disease</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/mysterious_illness.wav'><span>mysterious illness</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=13993 data-hint-location='65729' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/what_did_researchers_check.wav'>What did researchers check?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='spinal fluid'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/the_immune_system.wav'><span>the immune system</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/history_of_surgery.wav'><span>history of surgery</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/spinal_fluid.wav'><span>spinal fluid</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/something_old.wav'><span>something old</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=13994 data-hint-location='13021' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/the_condition_is_similar_to__blank_.wav'>The condition is similar to <span class='blank'>polio</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='polio'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/polio.wav'><span>polio</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/measles.wav'><span>measles</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/smallpox.wav'><span>smallpox</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/antibodies.wav'><span>antibodies</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3770/viri.wav
Preview
