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According to recent information, six children in Minnesota have been diagnosed with a rare disease that resembles polio.
The disease, called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), affects the nervous system and weakens muscles, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), which is investigating six cases since mid-September. Symptoms include sudden muscle weakness in the arms and legs, weakness or stiffness of the neck, drooping eyelids or sagging of the face, and difficulty swallowing or speaking poorly.
The AFM seems to affect mainly children, and all cases in Minnesota have occurred in children under 10, announced the MDH in a statement of 5 October. [Top 10 Mysterious Diseases]
The cause of AFM is still unknown, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Possible causes may include viruses, such as poliovirus, West Nile virus and adenoviruses, as well as environmental toxins or genetic factors.
The disease is not new, but there has been a slight rise in the number of cases starting in 2014, according to the CDC. From August 2014 to August 2018, the CDC received information on 362 cases of MFA. Despite the increase, the disease is still considered very rare and affects less than one in a million people in the United States each year.
The MDH noted that there were three cases of MFA in the state in 2014; since then, there has generally been less than one case a year.
Originally published on Science live.
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