Increased number of patients with paralyzing disease, CDC reports

November 14 (UPI) – A mysterious disease that causes paralysis in children continues to confuse public health authorities.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 90 cases of acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, in people living in 27 states. The CDC is studying 252 patients at risk for AFM, a figure that has increased by 33 patients since last week.

"The case classification is important because we are trying to understand what triggers the AFM and we are working to speed up the process," said Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, during a meeting. A press conference on Tuesday. "But taking care of the patient is the number one priority for doctors and the health department."

This polio-like condition causes respiratory illnesses between three and 10 days before the victim has limb weakness. Some of these victims are paralyzed.

The majority of AFM cases are children aged 2 to 8 years. About half of them are men.

No one died of MFA in 2018 and about half of the patients have completely recovered. However, said Messonnier, the other half suffers from permanent disability.

"There is currently no targeted therapy or intervention with enough evidence to approve or discover their use," said Messonnier. "We recommend clinicians to speed up consultations in neurology and infectious diseases to discuss treatment and management considerations."

The experts and the CDC still do not know what is causing the disease.

The agency has established a working group of national experts to develop a research program to determine the triggers for the disease and why it affects some children. The agency has been working since 2014, when the first cases arose, to find out the causes and find treatments, including working with doctors who have been treating AMF patients since 2014.

"What we need to determine, is the trigger of the AFM," said Messonnier.

"As a mother, I know what it's like to be afraid for your child and I understand that parents want answers," she added. "CDC is a science-based agency, but science does not give us an answer right now."