The AFM's mysterious paralyzing disease reported in New York, 30 states: Gothamist

[ad_1]

$apocalypsenigh112718.jpg "src =" http://gothamist.com/attachments/nyc_clampen/apocalypsenigh112718.jpg "width =" 640 "height =" 387 "/> MFA cases, by state, confirmed in 2018. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</div> A rare disease that attacks the spinal cord, resulting in muscle weakness and paralysis, has spread throughout the United States. The CDC has confirmed two cases of acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, in New York and six in New Jersey, with a total of 116 cases diagnosed in 31 states in 2018. According to CNN, 10 additional cases were added to the report last week. alone. The AFM, termed "polio-like" because of its detrimental effect on the nervous system, has been on the rise since 2014, peaking in the fall and mystifying researchers. The AFM usually develops as a result of an enterovirus (think: breathing problems, fever), most often in children. But while most children are going well, some begin to show weakened muscles and reflexes about three to ten days after the cold symptoms disappear. The AFM may also result in sagging of the face and drooping eyelid, as well as difficulty in speaking, swallowing and even breathing. The AFM may come from a poliovirus, but investigators have eliminated this problem: after testing the cerebrospinal fluid on 440 patients since 2014, they found evidence of the presence of pathogens (none of them related to polio) in only four samples. The CDC does not yet know what is the cause of this disease, but of the 400 cases and more identified to date, more than 90% have been recorded in children. In addition to the 116 confirmed diagnoses, 170 possible cases of AFM are currently under investigation. The AFM has tended to proliferate from August to October each year, which corresponds to the beginning of the cold and flu season and has been increasing every two years since 2014 (2014, 2016 and this year). New York and New Jersey are not ranked among the states with the highest number of AFM diagnoses – with Colorado and Texas leading, with 15 and 14 cases documented respectively – but the CDC urges parents and guardians Children with symptoms to report immediately to a doctor: The agency asks the help of health professionals in gathering information for their investigation. He also convened a task force to get to the bottom of this mysterious disease and, as CDC director Robert Redfield, MD said in a statement, "to actively detect, treat more effectively and ultimately prevent the disease." AFM and its consequences ". </div> <script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src =$

[ad_2]

Source link