What's polio-like cause that's paralyzing children? Health e

– We do not know. That's the answer from the federal government's top disease expert on what's causing polio-like illness that's leading to paralysis in children around the U.S.

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It is called acute flaccid myelitis, also known as AFM, and it 's a virus that starts as a cold but then attacks the nervous system, causing different forms of paralysis.

The Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci, Admitted Wednesday that health experts do not know the specific cause of illness.

"It's a very frustrating situation. We are not sure what it is, but there is a suspicion, a strong suspicion that it is associated with a particular type of virus that we recognize, "Fauci said.

From AIDS to Ebola, Fauci and the team at NIAID have been involved with fighting the most dangerous diseases.

However, in the case of AFM, experts are just sure of the cause. It could be linked to a specific strain of an enterovirus, which is a common cause.

"What we're doing is trying to figure out how to develop vaccines, but you've got to know what you're doing before," Fauci said.

Disease detectives with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working on that.

Fauci says the National Institutes of Health are now running animal tests and growing neural tissue to try to confirm the source of paralysis.

>> Related: Acute flaccid myelitis: Why is mysterious polio-like illness afflicting children so badly?

With AFC reported this week that they are aware of 155 cases of AFM reported so far this year.

One of those cases includes a toddler from Jacksonville, Florida. Amira Faircloth was an energetic child who suddenly could not walk.

Her mother, Reba Faircloth, said the girl's condition is causing serious frustration and helplessness.

"It's nerve wracking. It's stressful, "Faircloth said.

"She can not understand," she said.

Fauci said the best advice

"All things considered, it's a rare occurrence. It's a million, "the NIAID director said about the disease.

>> Related: Acute flaccid myelitis: CDC sees rise in cases, seasonal pattern to polio-like illness

Although it is little consolation for the affected families, it is also said that they are not so-called clusters, large numbers of cases tied to specific locations.

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