Acute muscle weakness health cases reported in northeastern Nebraska | State

DAKOTA CITY, Nebraska – A child in northeastern Nebraska has been hospitalized for a condition that causes muscle weakness, health officials said Friday.

In a statement released by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, a fourth confirmed case of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) was confirmed, resulting in muscle weakness.

AFM is a rare and serious disease, and the child is currently hospitalized. The case fell under the jurisdiction of the Dakota County Department of Health, headquartered in Dakota.

The Dakota County Health Department Director, Tiffany Hansen, said Friday that she could not share personal information about the age or bad of the child, nor in the city where he lives.

There have been three other confirmed cases of MFA in Nebraska.

The AFM most often affects children and usually causes sudden muscle weakness, often in the arms or legs. Some people also have sore eyelids or sagging faces, trouble moving their eyes, slurred speech or difficulty swallowing.

Hansen said that if parents saw potential symptoms of MFA in their child, they should immediately contact their health care provider.

The public agency said the AFM was a national priority. State and regional health departments are working with federal partners to find solutions. According to the DHHS release, the AFM has peaked throughout the country since 2014.

The DHHS will update case-specific case information as soon as it is available. at www.dhhs.ne.gov/AFM.

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