Of the three children recently hospitalized with polio-like symptoms in Washington, test results ruled out acute flaccid myelitis for one case. Lab results for the other two cases are pending, according to KIRO 7.
The illness has been confirmed in eight children between the ages of three and 14 in Washington this fall.
Of the three newly suspected cases, one child was admitted to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma and remained hospitalized as of Nov. 14. Another child was hospitalized in Spokane County, though The Seattle Times did not specify the exact location. A third child was recently released from Seattle Children's Hospital after AFM was ruled out as the cause of illness.
AFM is a rare neurological condition characterized by paralysis, facial droop and slurred speech. Many pathogens are linked to AFM, including common viruses that cause colds, sore throats and respiratory infections. The condition can also be caused by poliovirus, non-polio enteroviruses and mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile and Zika.
The CDC, in coordination with state and county health departments, is currently conducting an investigation into the AFM cluster.
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