"Polio-like" disease cases that the CDC investigated: should you worry?

A mysterious neurological disease called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) has made headlines in recent weeks: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed the presence of 62 confirmed cases in 22 states by 2018 until 39; now.

Read on for an overview of the disease and what you should know about it.

What is acute flaccid myelitis?

The AFM has an impact on "the area of ​​the spinal cord called gray matter, which weakens the muscles and reflexes of the body," says the CDC.

Most patients with AFM notice sudden muscle weakness in their limbs and loss of reflexes. They may also experience droopy eyelids, facial sagging, and slurred speech, among other symptoms.

"In very rare cases, it is possible that the process in the body that triggers the AFM also triggers other serious neurological complications that can lead to death," according to the CDC.

A bitten by a man in the infection with a bacterium caused by a bacterium

What can the disease cause?

According to the agency, people can contract the AFM, including exposure to toxins in the air, genetic factors or viruses such as poliovirus, non-polio enterovirus, adenovirus , West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus.

However, it can be difficult to determine how patients actually get an AFM.

"Often, despite extensive laboratory testing, the cause of a patient's AFM is unidentified," says the CDC.

CHILD-RELATED "POLIO-LIKE" DISASTER REMAINS "MYSTERY" FOR HEALTH OFFICERS While CDC confirms cases in 22 states

How many cases have there been?

The health agency said it had "received information on a total of 386 confirmed cases of MFA in the United States", which mainly concerned children.

This year alone, there were 62 confirmed cases in 22 different states.

"These 62 confirmed cases are among the 155 reports the CDC has received on patients under investigation," the CDC said. "The CDC recently received an increase in the number of PUI cases with symptoms in August and September. The CDC and state and municipal health departments are still investigating some of these diseases. "

Should you be concerned?

"Even with an increase in the number of cases since 2014, MFA remains a very rare disease. In the United States, less than one in a million people receive AFM every year, "says the CDC.