CDC Warns Parents To Be On Lookout For Acute Flaccid Myelitis In Children

(CNN) — Parents and pediatricians need to be on the lookout in the coming months for a rare, paralyzing condition that affects young children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The polio-like condition, called acute flaccid myelitis or AFM, tends to peak every other year, and the last surge of cases was in 2018, when 238 cases were diagnosed across the US, the CDC said. Read: Acute Flaccid Myelitis Fact Sheet This year is likely to see another upsurge but things will be complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. “AFM is a priority for CDC as we prepare for a possible outbreak this year,” Dr. Thomas Clark, deputy director of CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases, told reporters. “We are concerned that, in the midst of a Covid pandemic, that cases might not be recognized as AFM, or we are concerned that parents might be worried about taking their child to the doctor if they develop something as serious as limb weakness,” Clark added. The CDC released results of a study done after the last outbreak in 2018. It put almost all the affected children into the hospital. Patients were 5 years old on average. Read: How To Spot AFM In Children Most had a fever, respiratory illness or both a few days before they started showing the muscle weakness that is the most telling symptom of AFM. “In addition to weakness, common symptoms at clinical evaluation were gait difficulty (52%), neck or back pain (47%), fever (35%), and limb...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Boston News Featured Health Syndicated CBSN Boston Acute Flaccid Myelitis CNN Source Type: news