Two cases of rare, polio-like illness confirmed in Iowa

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The state of Iowa confirmed this week two cases of a mysterious polio-like illness that has broken down public health officials across the country.

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So far in 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 62 cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare but serious condition that affects the gray matter in the spinal cord, causing sudden muscle weakness and loss of reflexes. , in 22 states.

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On Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed two reports of AFM in Iowa this year. Both patients were children, one in central Iowa and another in the western part of the state who still is being investigated.

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The CDC is investigating a total of 127 nationwide cases, including the 62 confirmed cases, Kaiser Health News reported. The average age of the patient is four years old, and at least 90 percent of the cases are among those aged 18 and younger.

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This year's outbreak is the third in AFM in four years – once in 2014, in 2016 and now in 2018, according to the CDC. The CDC has seen 386 confirmed cases across the U.S. – mostly in children – from August 2014 through September 2018.

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However, federal health officials did not fully understand the disease, including it's cause.

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AFM is known as West Nile, but for the majority of cases, the CDC states it has not yet been identified.

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What are the causes of the disease, but may be related to environmental toxins, genetic disorders or other types of viruses.

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It's also unclear who is at most risk to have AFM, and what the long-term effects of the disease may be.

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U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Minnesota's U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, have joined the CDC, calling on the federal department to respond to the spikes in Iowa and Minnesota. According to the letter, seven children were diagnosed in recent weeks in the two states.

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"Because the causes of AFM are unknown, we urge the CDC to provide more information about preventive measures and treatments," the letter reads.

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Patients infected with AFM will experience a sudden onset of leg and arm weakness. Symptoms also include neck weakness or stiffness, dropping eyelids or face and difficulty swallowing or slurred speech.

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If patients with AFM are present, they are encouraged to contact the Center for Acute Disease Epidemiology at 800-362-2736.

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According to the news release, public health officials will work with providers to collect specimens and patient history.

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For more information on AFM, visit www.cdc.gov/acute-flaccid-myelitis/index.html

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l Comments: (319) 368-8536; [email protected]