The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is cautioning parents and doctors about an outbreak of a rare and life-threatening condition that will mostly strike children.
Outbreaks of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) last flared up in 2018, after the CDC received 238 reports of the disease. The serious neurologic condition normally peaks every two years between August and November.
“As we head into these critical next months, CDC is taking necessary steps to help clinicians better recognize signs and symptoms of AFM in children,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a news release.
Parents and doctors stay on the lookout for AFM's symptoms, which include permanent paralysis and life-threatening respiratory failure in children who were once healthy, according to the CDC.
“We’ve learned a lot but we have a lot to learn about AFM. We don’t yet know why certain kids develop AFM when the great majority who have respiratory illness recover with no neurologic symptoms,” said Thomas Clark, deputy director of CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases.
Symptoms include current or recent respiratory illness, fever, pain or numbness in limbs, difficulty walking, talking or swallowing, headache, back or neck pain, or facial weakness.
If parents see these symptoms develop in children, they should contact a doctor.
While the CDC doesn't know how many deaths have resulted from AFM, it said many children who develop the condition remain permanently disabled.
“Not understanding risk factors means I also can’t tell parents anything specific they can do to prevent AFM but it’s important to remember usual hygiene measures we recommend in respiratory virus season,” including regularly washing hands and sanitizing frequently touched objects in addition to getting vaccinated for the flu, Clark said.
“We want parents to understand that many measures have been taken to provide health care onsite safely,” Clark said. “AFM is a medical emergency and any signs of limb weakness in their kids that develop suddenly, they need to take them to the doctor.”
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