Dozens of children stricken by polio-like illness
A rare “polio-like” illness is suspected in the sickness of dozens of children nationwide.
Acute flaccid myelitis affects the body's nervous system, specifically the spinal cord, and can cause paralysis. Symptoms also include sudden limb weakness, loss of muscle tone and reflexes, facial and eyelid drooping, facial weakness, difficulty moving the eyes, swallowing difficulty, or slurred speech, according to the CDC.
It’s a rare disease; fewer than 400 cases have been reported in the past four years nationwide.
In the past few weeks, children in Minnesota, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Illinois have been hospitalized.
In 2017, 33 cases of AFM were reported in 16 states. One hundred forty-nine cases were reported in 39 states in 2016, and 22 cases in 17 states in 2015.