Acute Flaccid Myelitis - Mysterious Illness Affecting Children - Good Housekeeping

Last fall, we learned about the troubling spread of the enterovirus 68 among children, but now there's a scary new disease on the horizon. It's called Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) and since August 2014, 103 children in 34 states have been infected.

The main symptoms are weakness, pain, and paralysis in the arm or leg. Some experts believe there may be a connection to the enterovirus 68 that swept through the country in October, but so far many of the children who contracted AFM never tested positive for enteroviruses.

What is even more troubling is that only one child has recovered. While two thirds of the patients have shown improvement, the other third have shown no improvement at all. The New York Timesprofiled one family who has been affected by AFM. First grader Jack Wernick started developing cold symptoms in August and now he can't lift his right arm.

Since 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been investigating this new disease. And they've found that the median age of the children affected is seven years old, most patients had a fever and/or a respiratory illness before the neurologic symptoms (paralysis) began, and the children that did show improvement started to improve about 19 days after the illness began. The CDC continues to look at strains of enteroviruses, as well as West Nile virus and other similar viruses to determine a cause.

If your child appears to have sudden weakness in their arms or legs, the CDC suggests that you contact your healthcare provider and have your child assessed for possible neurologic issues. As with other viruses, the CDC says you can protect yourself and your family by washing your hands with soap and water frequently and avoiding contact with sick people.

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