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OLYMPIA, Wash. – A rare disorder of the nervous system left six children paralyzed.
This disease, called acute flaccid myelitis, attacks the nervous system, especially the spinal cord, and can lead to weakness of the arms or legs and loss of muscle reflexes.
The Washington Department of Health announced Wednesday that the children were 6 years old or younger. They had symptoms of a respiratory illness during the week preceding the onset of MFA symptoms.
The first five possible cases involved children from King, Pierce, Lewis and Snohomish counties. The most recent case concerns Skagit County.
"At this point, there is no evidence that would indicate a single source of disease among these cases," said Dr. Scott Lindquist, an epidemiologist specializing in infectious diseases at the Department of Health. "We work closely with medical service providers and public health agencies. We will continue to investigate and share information as we get them. "
US Centers for Disease Control specialists will confirm the diagnoses. The CDC says the disease is not new, but the number of cases has increased since 2014.
For the first nine months of this year, it was confirmed that 38 people in 16 states had AFM.
There was a group of nine MFA cases in the state of Washington in 2016 and three cases last year. A case was reported earlier this year.
The cause of the condition is unknown. The key symptom to look for is weakening of limbs and loss of sensation in the arms or legs.
The Ministry of Health issued the health advisory Wednesday:
Children are being evaluated for AFM, a rare condition that affects the nervous system, especially the spinal cord. Symptoms usually include sudden weakness in one or more arms or legs, as well as a loss of muscle tone and decreased or absent reflexes. AFM can cause various types and severity of symptoms, but the common point between them is a loss of strength or movement in one or more arms or legs. The cause of each individual case of MFA can be difficult to determine and often no cause is found. CDC specialists will make the final decision if these cases are AFM cases.
Some viruses and germs have been linked to the AFM, including common germs that can cause colds and sore throats, as well as respiratory infections. It can also be caused by poliovirus and non-polio enteroviruses, viruses transmitted by mosquitoes (such as West Nile virus or Zika virus) and possibly by non-infectious diseases.
Although there are no specific recommendations to avoid the AFM, you can protect yourself against some of its known causes by: washing your hands often with soap and water , avoiding any close contact with sick people and cleaning the surfaces with a disinfectant, sick person touched. Staying abreast of recommended vaccinations is also important to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.
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