(The Montana Standard) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of 127 patients under investigation for acute flaccid myelitis this year. Of these, 62 have been confirmed by the CDC, and the remainder continue to be investigated, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the agency’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. noting that the confirmed cases are in 22 states.
Acute flaccid myelitis, also called AFM, is a rare but serious condition that affects the nervous system and causes the muscles and reflexes to suddenly become weak, she said Tuesday. Specifically, the disease affects the area of the spinal cord called gray matter. Because the symptoms are similar, AFM is often confused with polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease that is caused by a virus. The overall rate of AFM is fewer than one in a million, she said. READ MORE
