There is no cure for acute flaccid myelitis, and the CDC can’t figure out what’s causing it .
U.S. health officials are investigating an outbreak of a mysterious, polio-like disease that causes weakness in one or more limbs. The rare disease — acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM — has sickened 62 people, mostly children, in 22 states so far this year and is suspected in 65 more cases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced October 16.
Starting with an outbreak of 120 cases that brought the disease to national attention in 2014, close to 400 cases have been confirmed in the United States. So far, the CDC has been unable to figure out what’s causing the outbreaks. “This is a mystery,” Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases in Atlanta, said during a news briefing. “We haven’t solved it yet"
Although the disease is frightening, fewer than one in a million people in the United States get AFM every year, based on CDC data collected since 2014. “Parents need to know that acute flaccid myelitis is very rare, even with the increase in cases that we’re seeing now,” she said. Even so, the CDC recommends that patients who develop sudden weakness in their arms or legs seek immediate medical care.!
What is acute flaccid myelitis?
The disease targets the spinal cord, leading to arm or leg weakness and loss of muscle tone. Symptoms can also include neck pain, headache, difficulty speaking, swallowing or breathing; the most serious symptom is respiratory failure. Children with AFM often start with a fever and respiratory illness before suddenly losing the ability to move one or more of their limbs. The paralysis can worsen quickly, which is why doctors recommend getting medical care at the first sign of unusual limb weakness.
Is there a treatment for AFM?
There is no cure or specific medical treatment for AFM. Doctors will try to relieve symptoms and may recommend physical or occupational therapy for muscle weakness.