Polio-like Illnesses in U.S. Children Show Sharp Uptick, CDC Says
By Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill
Two years after dozens of children became paralyzed following baffling respiratory illnesses, the CDC says it has received a “notable” increase in reports this year compared to last – a spike that appears especially pronounced since May 1.
Forty-nine reports of suspected acute flaccid myelitis – AFM -- were received by the CDC from January 1 in 22 states; 27 of those reports met the case definition and four more are probable, the agency said. Age of Autism reviewed an official alert containing the information. The CDC received only eight reports to that date last year, five of them confirmed. (Chart shows statistics January-June 2016 in orange compared to the year earlier.)
The average age this year is five, with the range from five months to 18 years. The dates of onset ranged from January 19 to July 23, with 20 of the 27 confirmed cases occurring after May 1, 9 of them in July. The agency said no single pathogen had been identified that linked the cases. It’s unclear how many cases may have occurred since July 23.
The original paralysis outbreak beginning in late 2013 affected more than 100 children and was associated in many cases with Enterovirus D-68, a member of the virus family which also includes poliovirus and usually circulates without causing severe illnesses. Age of Autism covered the outbreak extensively and raised the possibility that some of the cases – which began in California – might be linked to pesticides.
The apparent resurgence this year of the paralytic illness is concerning because, like polio, it could be following a fluctuating pattern and peaking in the summertime, suggesting a possible connection to crops and food.
Other troubling signs of pesticide exposure include the death of bee colonies, most recently millions of honeybees in South Carolina after spraying for mosquitos.
Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism, Mark Blaxill is Editor-At-Large.
MS -- i love our readers. you've given me a lot to work on when i get back into this topic soon. best, dan
Posted by: Dan Olmsted | September 14, 2016 at 10:42 AM
There's been a considerable amount of research done over the years regarding legacy arsenic/lead arsenate contamination of soils (source: google scholar "arsenic""legacy""pesticides"; http://soils.tfrec.wsu.edu/leadhistory.htm) and recent ties to elevated cases of cancer caused by consuming water associated by elevated arsenic concentrations (source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160502215424.htm).
As regulations were among the first drinking water regulations imposed by the EPA (source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/train1-background.pdf), but this was adopted based on studies and regulations advocated by the USPHS in 1942.
The current use of calcium & sodium arsenicals (CA, MSMA, DSMA, etc) continues despite them being 'banned' (source: http://consumersunion.org/news/epa-should-ban-arsenic-containing-pesticides/ , others).
Why might this be important? MSMA is apparently allowed for use in turfgrass and cotton production (probably others). Tx/CA/South seems to be areas which have habitually used arsenicals (at least recently) as well as having reported 'outbreaks' of polio-like disease. Why have there also been outbreaks/cases in areas like OR, WI, and WA, and the mid Atlantic states? Perhaps exposure and susceptibility to much residual As bound to soils from legacy application(s) of lead arsenate + exposure to EV-D69/PO4-mobilized As.
So, yes I'd buy the Arsenic-mediated disease theory and it has some plausibility given the considerable worldwide recognition of it as a problem (Bangladesh, US, India, S America). Although arsenicals were not used in the US until late 1800s or early 1900s, arsenic-mediated illness seems a bit more likely than needle-nicked nerves causing entry portals for enteroviruses with latent GBS. GBS wasn't described until 1916 which, ahem, corresponds well with Dan's As-mediated polio theory.
To wrap back around to Cia's initial comment about peaks, valleys and lulls, it could be partially due to the intermittent use of, for instance, arsenicals during crop rotations or perhaps some other reasons. From 1960's to 1992ish, arsenic acid was used as a dessicant for cotton plants; now glyphosate is apparently widely used as a plant dessicant (wheat, cotton, hay, etc). There's a whole raft of folks who'd likely argue that neither is particularly good. Unlike strictly organic herbicide/pesticide compounds, Arsenic is an element and isn't broken down into simpler, less toxic components. Arsenic, arsenite, & arsenate can be immobilized in soils but is also remobilized by a number of geochemical, microbial, and/ or hydrological processes. Treating groundwater would be expensive but likely trivial compared to potential health-care costs.
Posted by: msbiskind | September 14, 2016 at 10:21 AM
The intersection of two environmental exposures (like polio virus infection and arsenic poisoning) seems to me to make more sense (and better inform how to prevent) poliomyelitis-like outcomes than any discussion I've seen on the topic.
And I agree a general understanding of these environmental (and perhaps genetic) interactions will help significantly with prevention/remediation of the autism epidemic.
And maybe more...
Here is discussion regarding possible synergy between DEET and naled:
https://vaccineimpact.com/2016/cdc-recommendations-for-fighting-zika-may-be-causing-microcephaly-autism-and-cancer/
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | September 12, 2016 at 12:21 AM
On the cusp of great understanding; it is very important you keep writing, Dan. .
Posted by: Benedetta | September 11, 2016 at 02:02 AM
My sister died in a boating accident many years ago.
She had many friends that I talk to regularly.
Recently one of her friends was joking around and told me that she got into trouble the only time in her life with an old school teacher that my Mother not only taught with - but she was also my Mother's r third or fourth grade teacher, Mary Grace.
When I mentioned Mary Grace, Mother's eyes lite up and she told me about the time that Mary Grace convinced her and another fellow teacher to come to her house; and buy a turkey off of her. She even offered them a place in her yard to pluck the feathers off and a fire to sing the feathers. Mother said the two of them spent the entire Saturday plucking turkey feathers off of some really poor - wild - thin like turkeys after giving more money for them than if they had just gone to the store and bought them . Such was the persuading skills of Mary Grace.
When Mother was in the third grade; Mary Grace came to Horse Lick Creek to teach at the Durham school. She boarded at my Dad's parents while she taught school and she brought with her, her very small little daughter, way too young for school. My Dad's parents watched the daughter a lot when Mary Grace taught school. Some times - often Mary Grace took her to school a lot too and she was the pet of my Mother's. My Mother - a third grader -watched over that little girl.
Soon after Christmas, it became apparent that Mary Grace was pregnant again, and so her husband came to pick her and her daughter up and school was out for the year.
That following summer, my guess- it was 1936 or 37; the little girl died of infantile paralysis. -- that is what mother called it - not polio. It broke all of the hearts in that community.
That little girl was pretty young - if she was going to come into contact with polio it would have been while she was living with a nasty bunch on Horse Lick Creek with all their out door toilets and dangers of typhoid and their typhoid shots. But she did not get sick there - she got sick when she left and went back to the county seat of Mount Vernon - died in late summer.
So, the society getting cleaner - thus coming into contact with the polio virus later - did not ring true.
Narad - they did find it was a virus, a common virus that had been around forever and caused no problems. That virus had not changed genetically = not mutated; and really that would be against all the evolutionary laws they love to discuss in microbiology classes and parasitology classes. The longer the parasite - is in contact with a species the milder it becomes because it cannot survive if it harms it's host. It does not happen the other way around.
So, the virus did exist. The virus started causing problems when it had never done so before-
I think that Dan has answered that splendidly. It makes sense. It is not that the virus has changed, but individuals have been poisoned and had dismantled the immune system.
Thank you Dan for insight and the name of your giants whose shoulders you are standing on.
But still to find out about the experimental arsenic. WoW!
Posted by: Benedetta | September 10, 2016 at 10:22 PM
Looks like ice cream was a double whammy in the 50's; with DDT in the milk fat, and lead arsenate in the sugar.
Thimerosal has been used in vaccines since the 30's or 40's, and this has been shown to induce paralysis in mice and pigs.
I really think that a virus is the least-likely theory.
Posted by: Narad | September 10, 2016 at 03:52 PM
Dan,
I'm sure arsenic and DDT (and sugar) played a part but how many cases paralytic polio or traumatic neuritis (TN), mistaken as polio paralysis, were caused by injections of one kind or another?
Injections for fever in India:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLyz0vB2vLw
http://medind.nic.in/icb/t05/i3/icbt05i3p267.pdf
"The diagnosis of TN is difficult. 4 It is significant that the diagnoses of TN appear to be made retrospectively and seem to occur in regions where cases of polio paralysis are frequent. It is common for 1, 2 or even 4 or more injections to be given to children with fever and, if that fever has been caused by poliovirus which has reached the spinal cord, aggravation paralysis may result.5 About 75% of polio cases have received injections for fever with paralysis following from 24 to 48 hours later. A small number of cases of provocation polio follow from 6 to 14 days after injections of DPT". - S. Mahadevan, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, JIPMER
http://www.esciencecentral.org/journals/the-curse-of-unnecessary-and-unsterile-injections-2332-0877.1000184.pdf
Wyatt, et al., J Infect Dis Ther 2014, 2:6
ISSN:2332-0877 JID
Volume 2 • Issue 6 • 1000184
The Curse of Unnecessary and Unsterile Injections
Wyatt HV* University of Leeds, November 06, 2014
"The history of injections has an unexpected lesson for all
doctors. From 1914, but only recognised in the 1950's, some children
given sterile injections appeared a few days later with the limb
paralysed by poliomyelitis. This unexpected complication of the
injection caused a poliovirus infection to invade motor neurones.
Injections were afterwards only given in months with low poliovirus
infections. From the 1960's, doctors in India noticed that a child given
an injection for fever, often developed paralysis a day later. A study of
children with polio showed that about one quarter had no injections,
but the same number incubating non-paralytic infections were
converted by injections to paralysis. The rest had paralysis which was
made more severe by injections [2]. In our hospital, only a few cases
died from polio, but all had received injections, in each arm and leg!
Injections can be deadly. Who could have foreseen the tragic
consequences that the small trauma caused by an injection of a vaccine
might result in paralysis some days later? Or that a similar injection for
a fever might, by a different mechanism in the CNS, result in severe
paralysis 24 hr later?"
Posted by: ATSC | September 10, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Hi Benedetta, thanks for the question which others have also asked. The basic idea of a toxin causing "polio", namely lead arsenate pesticide, was suspected by some at the time, and then after ww 2 DDT was suggested by scobey, biskund and later by jim west, so as they say we're standing on the shoulders of giants here who had the courage and insight to suggest such a radical idea, for which they were soundly trounced! mark and i believe that it is the toxin interacting with the virus that created the epidemic, which is different than the arsenic-alone or virus-alone idea and helps make better sense of the pattern, we believe. given that, i set out to "reverse engineer" the brooklyn-based 1916 outbreak -- was there evidence of a significant new exposure to arsenic/lead in that time and place? so that led to looking at brooklyn's industry which made it the sugar refining capital of the world, receiving the first arsenic-treated sugar from hawaii. i think the comments/stories at the time about polio onset after eating certain foods is the most important clue, including Mrs. Franklin and her ice cream store. I could always be wrong about what happened in Brooklyn, although I suspect not, but I am very convinced on the arsenic/lead connection to the early polio outbreaks and plan to keep writing about that, as well as looking at what happened after ww 2 when the epidemics became so prevalent. the way the powers that be fail to consider toxins, whether in polio or autism, in childhood disease and disorders is tragic and i hope that by establishing its reality we will take this more seriously going forward.i've really appreciated all the comments and use them to help shape the reporting and writing -- thanks! -- dan
Posted by: Dan Olmsted | September 10, 2016 at 06:00 AM
Dan;
Some day you must tell us how you came upon an experimental herbicide arsenic sugar cane crop; out of Hawaii!
That had to be a light bulb, the earth shattering moment.
Not only that - but you might be on the cuff of saving us from an endless list of stomach viruses and an endless parade of vaccines, and an endless parade of late summer deadly and crippling diseases - if you can get the power in charge to listen.
Posted by: Benedetta | September 09, 2016 at 11:59 PM
In this study of the causes of acute flaccid paralysis in Iraqi children from 1997-2011, Guillain-Barré syndrome (52.5%) and Traumatic neuritis (14.4%) were the leading causes, and only 3.3% of AFP cases were caused (supposedly) by the poliovirus. 1.5% was caused by Hypokalemia or potassium deficiency.
http://bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2377-13-195
Guillain-Barré syndrome as a cause of acute flaccid paralysis in Iraqi children: a result of 15 years of nation-wide study
Posted by: ATSC | September 09, 2016 at 08:36 PM
Sorry the Pinterest links didn't work. I looked them up for you and they are listed below.
Posted by: In the know | September 08, 2016 at 04:43 PM
Louise,
Your quote said: "Guillain Barre syndrome and enteroviral encephalopathy were the two leading causes of acute flaccid paralysis." It didn't differentiate between those in the figures given. Enteroviral encephalopathy I think would be polio paralysis.
Posted by: ciaparker | September 08, 2016 at 03:29 PM
About honeybees.
Dan did not mis-speak. Millions of honeybees, belonging to one large beekeeper facility, were killed. The owner/manager/whatever was not aware that spraying was going to be done. The incident was recently, and the spraying was because of Zika virus.
HOWEVER, there is a condition called "colony collapse" and it has been going on for some years.
I have my own theory about why this is happening, and if I am correct, it is caused directly by GMO corn, wheat, alfafa -- as those crops are growing in the fields and are visited by bees. This type of crop is known as "Roundup Ready."
One more, in a long long string of problems caused by Factory Farms and greed-greed-and-more-greed.
Posted by: Nonnymouse | September 08, 2016 at 03:22 PM
Autoantibodies in Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26560950
Exploring the role of interleukin-22 in neurological and autoimmune disorder.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26311525
Guillain-Barré syndrome: causes, immunopathogenic mechanisms and treatment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27292311
Sorry the Pinterest link didn't work. I looked them up and copied the links for you here.
Acute Abducens Nerve Paralysis in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Analysis of 14 Patients.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25806679
The Pathogenesis of the Demyelinating Form of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS): Proteo-peptidomic and Immunological Profiling of Physiological Fluids
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27143409
An epidemiological analysis of acute flaccid paralysis in Khuzestan Province, Southwest of Iran.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27457060
Posted by: In the know | September 08, 2016 at 02:46 PM
In the Know and Louise,
The link didn't work for me either. Is it known how many of the kids who have become paralyzed had recently received a vaccine? I think all of them can cause AFP, but it would probably be within a month or so of vaccination. Two years ago there were about 120 cases of paralysis following the EV-68 virus, about 12 deaths, tens of thousands of school kids out sick with it, but they weren't serious cases. Since there were zero cases recorded of EV-68 last year, and a small number this year, the next question is whether there is a correlation between EV-68 and the paralysis.
Posted by: ciaparker | September 08, 2016 at 01:27 PM
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17867475
Guillain Barre syndrome: the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis in Hazara division.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) can be caused by a number of conditions. A common preventable cause is poliomyelitis which is still being reported in Pakistan, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), also known as Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, is another common cause of acute flaccid paralysis. It is important to recognize GBS in childhood as parents consider all acute flaccid paralysis to be due to poliomyelitis. The present study was designed to know the frequency of different causes of acute flaccid paralysis in Hazara division.
METHODS:
This is a retrospective analysis of cases of acute flaccid paralysis reported from various districts of Hazara division during the period January 2003 to December 2004. Acute flaccid paralysis was diagnosed clinically through history and clinical examination. The underlying cause of acute flaccid paralysis was investigated by appropriate laboratory tests, such as serum electrolytes, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, electromyogram, nerve conduction study and stool culture for polio virus and other enteroviruses. Diagnosis of Poliomyelitis was confirmed by stool testing for poliovirus.
Posted by: Louise Stanley | September 08, 2016 at 11:38 AM
To continue:
RESULTS:
74 patients presented with AFP during the study period. 36 were male and 38 were female. Guillain Barre syndrome and enteroviral encephalopathy were the two leading causes of acute flaccid paralysis. Majority of the cases were reported from Mansehra district. Children of age groups 12 to 24 months and > 96 months constituted the majority (20% each).
CONCLUSION:
Guillian Barre syndrome was the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis reported from various parts of Hazara division
Posted by: Louise Stanley | September 08, 2016 at 11:36 AM
The link to the Pinterest site didn't seem to be working but I found another:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17867475
Guillain Barre syndrome: the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis in Hazara division.
Anis-ur-Rehman1, Idris M, Elahi M, Jamshed, Arif A.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) can be caused by a number of conditions. A common preventable cause is poliomyelitis which is still being reported in Pakistan, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), also known as Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, is another common cause of acute flaccid paralysis. It is important to recognize GBS in childhood as parents consider all acute flaccid paralysis to be due to poliomyelitis. The present study was designed to know the frequency of different causes of acute flaccid paralysis in Hazara division.
METHODS:
This is a retrospective analysis of cases of acute flaccid paralysis reported from various districts of Hazara division during the period January 2003 to December 2004. Acute flaccid paralysis was diagnosed clinically through history and clinical examination. The underlying cause of acute flaccid paralysis was investigated by appropriate laboratory tests, such as serum electrolytes, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, electromyogram, nerve conduction study and stool culture for polio virus and other enteroviruses. Diagnosis of Poliomyelitis was confirmed by stool testing for poliovirus.
RESULTS:
74 patients presented with AFP during the study period. 36 were male and 38 were female. Guillain Barre syndrome and enteroviral encephalopathy were the two leading causes of acute flaccid paralysis. Majority of the cases were reported from Mansehra district. Children of age groups 12 to 24 months and > 96 months constituted the majority (20% each).
CONCLUSION:
Guillian Barre syndrome was the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis reported from various parts of Hazara division.
Posted by: Louise Stanley | September 08, 2016 at 11:34 AM
A friend's son has just been diagnosed with PSC a liver disease. He was in meds for ADHD. The doctor mentioned it's uncommon but they are seeing more of it. Good God what is happening to the young? He is 18.
Posted by: D.Z. | September 08, 2016 at 11:06 AM
To Birgit: You raised an interesting question.
Tetanus vaccines found spiked with sterilization chemical http://www.naturalnews.com/047571_vaccines_sterilization_genocide.html#ixzz4JfnzNxDh
I have a question concerning the blood type(s) of the aborted fetal cells in vaccines that are then injected into children/adults with a different blood type.
Does anyone have any information on that subject?
Posted by: In the know | September 08, 2016 at 10:14 AM
To Birgit: Fluoride may be the least of our problems.
REVEALED: Cancer industry profits locked in by nagalase molecule injected into humans via vaccines... spurs tumor growth... explains aggressive vaccine push
http://www.naturalnews.com/050582_nagalase_GcMAF_cancer_industry_profits.html
To Dan, Mark and ciaparker,
I was just made aware of this and haven't had time to explore it yet but it looks interesting:
Acute Flaccid Paralysis/Guillain Barre Click on Icon to get more information
https://www.pinterest.com/news/4855067610382871660/?utm_campaign=networkstorydigest&e_t=80401d9f82904e35bb386f3ffa0c4057&utm_medium=2026&utm_source=31&e_t_s=cta
Posted by: In the know | September 08, 2016 at 09:08 AM
Has it occurred to anyone that the government's mandating vaccines could be used to include substances in vaccines that are actually not meant for disease-prevention purposes, at all, but instead for much more insidious purposes such as doing studies on the population that in fact should require informed consent? I derive my question from the following fact: Germany is not putting fluoride in drinking water because they don't want to medicate the population without their knowledge. Fluoride was used before WWII in prisoner of war camps to keep the prison population docile. The knowledge derived from that became useful in the development of Prozac and Paxil, which both contain fluoride as an active ingredient. Vaccines are the only substance that has been legislated in California to be applied universally to all school children. Is it too far-fetched to think that someone might add substances into vaccines that in fact have no other purpose other than to do either mind-control or other experiments on people?
Posted by: Birgit Calhoun | September 07, 2016 at 04:01 PM
Dan trying to get more info
Posted by: Dan Olmsted | September 07, 2016 at 02:51 PM
Any evidence that arsenic is involved?
Posted by: Dan Burns | September 07, 2016 at 02:36 PM
typo - "after spraying for honeybees" should be "after spraying for mosquitoes or zika"
Posted by: AnneS | September 07, 2016 at 02:19 PM
Dan, you say:
"Other troubling signs of pesticide exposure include the death of bee colonies, most recently millions of honeybees in South Carolina after spraying for honeybees."
I'm sure you mean "mosquitoes" instead of 'honeybees."
At any rate, the ludicrous fear-mongering of Zika by the CDC, et al., is right out of their playbook: Promote gigantic phony danger, and then promote massive programs for new vaccines, and scores of $Billions that in fact cause the populace more toxic carnage - including honeybees.
Posted by: david m burd | September 07, 2016 at 01:42 PM
I found this at a CDC website. Kind of strange because on the one hand it says that EV-68 has been detected in a few cases this year, which is only to be expected as it is ever-present, then in the section on 2015, it says that zero cases were detected.
Updated July 2016
CDC is aware of limited sporadic EV-D68 detections in the U.S. in 2016. There is no indication of unusual activity. Enteroviruses are ever-present in the community, and each year we expect to detect cases. As in previous years, CDC will continue to work in 2016 with states by testing specimens to determine virus type, supporting the identification and investigation of outbreaks, and monitoring seasonal activity.
What Parents Need to Know about EV-D68 and Respiratory Illness, CDC
What happened with EV-D68 in 2015?
U.S. laboratories reported zero EV-D68 detections to CDC's National Enterovirus Surveillance System (NESS) during the 2015 enterovirus season (summer and fall). Also, CDC received about 700 specimens for enterovirus testing during 2015; zero were positive for EV-D68, many were positive for a rhinovirus type.
What happened with EV-D68 in 2014?
In summer and fall 2014, the United States experienced a nationwide outbreak of EV-D68 associated with severe respiratory illness. From mid-August 2014 to January 15, 2015, CDC or state public health laboratories confirmed a total of 1,153 people in 49 states and the District of Columbia with respiratory illness caused by EV-D68. Almost all of the confirmed cases were among children, many whom had asthma or a history of wheezing. Additionally, there were likely many thousands of mild EV-D68 infections for which people did not seek medical treatment and/or get tested.
Posted by: ciaparker | September 07, 2016 at 12:23 PM
I had wondered why there were apparently no cases of EV-68 or associated paralysis last year, but then thought that it might also be like polio in having epidemic years and then lulls. There is no published evidence that EV-68 is around again this year? Would it be just from pesticide/herbicide use if it apparently didn't occur last year?
Posted by: ciaparker | September 07, 2016 at 11:33 AM