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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it has received 127 suspected cases of polio-like disease called acute flaccid myelitis.
So far, 62 cases have been confirmed, said the CDC. For 2018, this gives the impression that it could end up being a year with more cases than usual, told the press Dr. Nancy Messonnier, CDC.
We still do not know what causes the disease, which can develop after a viral infection.
"We have not been able to find the cause of the majority of AFM cases," said Messonnier. "We have detected an enterovirus in many of these individual cases."
None of the samples were tested positive for the polio virus. "The AFM can be caused by other viruses such as enteroviruses and West Nile virus, as well as by environmental toxins and autoimmune diseases," said Messonnier.
NBC News conducted its own unofficial survey of state health officials and found 87 confirmed or suspected cases in 26 states.
The AFM affects the nervous system, especially the gray matter of the spinal cord, says the CDC. Depending on which part of the spine is damaged, different muscles can weaken or paralyze.
This can lead to a series of symptoms, ranging from difficulty raising an arm to a significant weakening of the muscles that help with breathing. This may require the use of a ventilator to help the patient breathe.
Infection with many different viruses can lead to neurological complications. AFM can be one of them.
Some children with AFM recover fully, but others are disabled for years.
There is no specific treatment for AFM, says the CDC. Once the virus has attacked the nervous system, no known medical intervention can reverse the effects. Rehabilitation can help patients recover their function.
Since 2014, physicians have been trying to determine if there is a way to prevent or treat the damage that causes AFM. They found no tangible evidence of the use of corticosteroids, the use of intravenous immunoglobulin or IVIG, a type of blood filtering called plasmapheresis, use of an immunostimulant called interferon, antivirals or other medical treatments.
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