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According to the state's Department of Health, five Maryland children have contracted the symptoms of a polio-like virus this fall.
These cases are among dozens of possible cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AMD) that are being investigated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention across the country. The disease affects the nervous system and has symptoms similar to those of polio.
This year, five children in Maryland contracted symptoms of AFD, according to the Maryland Department of Health. The first case in Maryland this year was contracted on Sept. 21, said a spokeswoman for the department in an email.
The disease affects the spinal cord and can cause weakness and pain in the arms and legs. Symptoms may also include slackening and weakness of the face, difficulty in moving the eyes, droopy eyelids or difficulty swallowing and speech disturbances. Some patients may not be able to urinate.
In rare cases, people with AFM mycosis may suffer from respiratory failure and need respiratory assistance when their respiratory muscles become too weak. And in very rare cases, the AFM can trigger deadly neurological complications, according to the CDC.
Some patients heal quickly, while others suffer from paralysis and require ongoing care.
Most cases involve children.
In the United States, according to the CDC, there have been 38 confirmed cases in 16 states this year until September 30th.
The CDC will determine whether the suspected cases in Maryland are MFA cases based on clinical information and laboratory tests, said a spokeswoman for the state health department in an email .
The disease has been on the rise in the United States since 2014, but remains rare. Between August 2014 and September 2018, 362 cases were confirmed by the CDC.
The CDC did not identify the virus in a specific germ, but the agency said it had various causes, including viruses, environmental toxins and genetic disorders. Viruses that can cause the disease include poliovirus, non-polio enteroviruses, adenoviruses and West Nile virus.
The CDC studies cases and monitors the disease, and encourages people to prevent it by staying informed about vaccines, washing their hands and protecting themselves from mosquito bites.
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