The CDC has received 155 reports of patients under investigation for acute flaccid myelitis, up from the 127 suspected cases it announced Oct 16. Thus far in 2018, there have been 62 confirmed cases of AFM, mostly in children.
The CDC first identified AFM cases in the U.S. in 2014. There were 120 confirmed cases in 2014 and 149 in 2016, but the spread of the disease trended down in 2015 and 2017, with only 22 and 33 confirmed cases, respectively. In August and September, the agency received increased reports of patients under investigation for AFM symptoms.
AFM affects the nervous system, specifically the gray matter of the spinal cord, causing the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. The condition has thus far affected mostly children, but the CDC doesn't know the cause of most cases as yet. Additionally, the symptoms are similar to complications of infection with certain viruses, including poliovirus; however, all AFM patients have tested negative for poliovirus.
The CDC states it is "working closely with healthcare providers and state and local health departments to increase awareness for AFM." It is also "encouraging healthcare providers to recognize and report suspected cases of AFM to their health departments, and for health departments to send this information to CDC to help us understand the nationwide burden of AFM."