A rare neurological illness is continuing to afflict dozens of young kids across the country — worrying federal health officials and freaking out parents.
So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 62 cases of the mysterious condition, acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), and is investigating at least 65 more cases spread across 22 states. Most of the confirmed cases involve children, with the average age around 4.
The condition can cause weakness in the arms or legs, loss of muscle tone and reflexes, facial drooping and slurred speech. Some patients have also suffered from persistent paralysis.It’s still unclear what causes the illness or how to treat it, although the CDC has been vigilantly tracking the outbreak since 2014, when the first noticeable uptick in cases began. The agency is currently investigating the role of enteroviruses, which affect the digestive system, and strains of rhinoviruses. They are also considering environmental and genetic factors.Despite their similar symptoms, however, the new, mysterious illness is definitely not caused by poliovirus, the CDC said in a media call Tuesday, following reports about a new rash of cases in Minnesota, where six new patients have been diagnosed since Sept. 20."Parents need to know that AFM is very rare, even with the increase in cases that we are seeing now,” Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during the call, according to NPR. “We recommend seeking medical care right away if you or your child develop sudden weakness of the arms and legs."
It’s not the first time cases of acute flaccid myelitis have spiked — in 2014 there were 120 new cases, and 149 were reported in 2016. And it’s still unclear whether this year will match those highs, though Messonnier said during the call that the 62 confirmed cases represent "a substantially larger number than in previous months this year.”
Only one person has died from the disorder, researchers say, and while the long-term effects of the illness are unknown, at least some patients have recovered just fine.Cover image: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, with a bust of Hygiea, the Greek goddess of health.
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