The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned parents to prepare for another outbreak of a mysterious child disease acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).
AFM is a rare but paralyzing disease that scientists believe can be triggered by many enteroviruses. This neurological condition usually causes respiratory infections but can result in devastating illnesses in children.
It is believed to develop after a virus attacks spinal cords, leading to muscle and limb weaknesses. In some cases, it can result in paralysis or long-term disability.
Experts do not know why but AFM outbreaks tend to occur every two years, with over 100 children affected in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
As parents and guardians prepare to send their kids back to school amid coronavirus pandemic, the health agency urges people to stay vigilant for another threat to children’s health.
“We are concerned that cases of AFM might not be recognized amid the coronavirus pandemic or parents might be fearful of taking their kids to the hospital if they develop something as serious as limb weakness,” said CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield.
He urges parents to seek medical attention if they suspect that their children may have AFM.
In a report released by the CDC, it was noted that more than a third of kids who developed AFM were not taken to hospitals until they had weak muscles and limbs.
“AFM can progress rapidly over the course of hours or days, leading to permanent paralysis and/or the life-threatening complication of respiratory failure in previously healthy patients, so delays in care can be serious,” the authors wrote.
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