CDC Confirms Rare Polio-Like Virus Acute Flaccid Myelitis in 22 States

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 62 cases of a polio-like illness that causes weakness in the legs and arms. So far, it’s been reported in 22 states.

The agency is investigating 127 cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), according to Reuters on Oct. 17.

“We understand that people, particularly parents, are concerned about AFM,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, according to the Washington Post.

Messonnier said that officials have not been able to find the cause of the illness.

“There is a lot we don’t know about AFM, and I am frustrated that despite all of our efforts,” she said, “we haven’t been able to identify the cause of this mystery illness.”

The condition is quite rare, and the CDC says that it only affects 1 out of 1 million people in the United States, and most cases have involved children.

Of the 127 cases, about 90 percent are people under the age of 18, Reuters reported.

“Poliovirus is not the cause of these AFM cases. We want to encourage parents to seek medical care right away if you or your child develops symptoms of AFM, such as sudden weakness and loss of muscle tone in your arms or legs,” Messonnier told Reuters.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 62 cases of a polio-like illness that causes weakness in the legs and arms. So far, it’s been reported in 22 states. (CNN)

Symptoms and Diagnosis

On the CDC’s website, it lists symptoms of the disease, which include facial droop/weakness, difficulty moving the eyes, drooping eyelids, or difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech.

“Numbness or tingling is rare in people with AFM, although some people have pain in their arms or legs. Some people with AFM may be unable to pass urine (pee). The most severe symptom of AFM is respiratory failure that can happen when the muscles involved with breathing become weak. This can require urgent ventilator support (breathing machine). In very rare cases, it is possible that the process in the body that triggers AFM may also trigger other serious neurologic complications that could lead to death,” according to the CDC’s website.

It advised that if one’s child has similar symptoms, seek medical care right away.

“It affects the nervous system, specifically the area of spinal cord called gray matter, which causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. This condition is not new, but the increase in cases we saw starting in 2014 is new ... There are a variety of possible causes of AFM, such as viruses, environmental toxins, and genetic disorders. Most of the cases that CDC has learned about have been in children,” said the CDC.

The virus is diagnosed by examining a patient’s nervous system and in combination with looking at photos of the patient’s spinal cord, the CDC says.

“A doctor can examine a patient’s nervous system and the places on the body where he or she has weakness, poor muscle tone, and decreased reflexes. A doctor can also do an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to look at a patient’s brain and spinal cord, do lab tests on the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid around the brain and spinal cord), and may check nerve conduction (impulse sent along a nerve fiber) and response,” officials say.