Acute flaccid myelitis: 10 cases of polio-like illness have been reported in northern Illinois, according to state officials

CHICAGO (WLS) –

Ten cases of flaccid acute myelitis, a rare disease similar to polio, have been reported in children in northern Illinois since mid-September, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Friday. .

No additional details have been published on "clinically diagnosed" cases, but Illinois authorities are investigating the possibility of a cluster.

Two girls – a 2-year-old girl from Batavia and an 8-year-old from Chesterton, Indiana – were treated this week for the disease, also called AFM, at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago.

RELATED: A Batavia toddler treated for a rare polio-like illness in Chicago

The ten cases have not been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and none by the CDC this year. However, local officials work with CDC investigators.

AFM first mimics the symptoms of colds or flu, then includes limb weakness and partial paralysis. The disease, which has affected children in the United States, affects the lungs and the nervous system.

The CDC of Illinois has only confirmed four cases of MFA since 2015.

At least six cases have been reported in Minnesota in recent weeks and at least 38 confirmed cases in 16 states.

The disease is extremely rare.

"As far as we can judge, rates are about one in a million people who get it," said Dr. Allison Bartlett, of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Toronto. Chicago.

In Lurie, 2-year-old Julia Payne has been fighting the AFM for almost a month.

"Nobody really knows if it will recover completely or if it will last a long time," said his father, Jos Payne.

She was released for rehab treatment Wednesday afternoon. Her parents said she's getting better.

Before being diagnosed, Julia's parents noticed that she was struggling to hold her head and arms in the air.

"It's such a rare and frightening condition that we know so little, so much awareness that we can educate, we're all responsible," said Julia's mother, Katy Payne.

"We believe that acute flaccid myelitis is an infection of nerve cells," said Dr. Bartlett. "It ignites them, does not work as well and becomes swollen."

Julia's symptoms are typical of AFM, but may also include difficulty swallowing, speech problems, and facial looseness. The virus is transmitted by coughing, sneezing and does not wash your hands properly.

"The AMF itself is a syndrome and is not, in our opinion, a person-to-person disease. It's probably more likely the subsequent effect of a respiratory infection, "said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of Illinois. Department of Public Health.

AFM does not exist, doctors treat the symptoms and offer physical therapy, but the long-term effects are not really known.

The disease mainly affects children and young adults.

"Since it can potentially act as a polio virus or a polio-like virus, you want to make sure that your polio vaccine is up to date, but most importantly that you wash your hands and be on the lookout for symptoms, "said Scott Goldstein, a pediatrician at Northwestern.

"Really, the only thing we can do to protect ourselves is the same thing we do all year to try to prevent infections," Bartlett said.

The health department said the latest number of suspected cases of MFA in Illinois is available on the IDPH website. More information on AFM symptoms and prevention is available on the CDC website.