there's a spike in a polio-esque virus affecting kids
acute flaccid myelitis, or afm, is a rare, serious illness that impacts the spinal cord and the rest of the nervous system, causing weakness or paralysis.
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in severe cases, acute flaccid myelitis (afm) can cause respiratory failure, major body temperature changes, and blood pressure instability. getty
parents should be on the lookout this fall for a “polio-like” neurological condition that mainly affects young children, according to the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention (cdc), which was alerted to a rise in acute flaccid myelitis (afm) cases in the u.s. in august. afm is a rare, serious illness that impacts the spinal cord and the rest of the nervous system, and can cause sudden weakness or paralysis of the arms and legs. other symptoms, according to the mayo clinic, include loss of reflexes, difficulty moving the eyes, facial droop, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and arm, leg, neck or back pain.
in severe cases, afm can cause respiratory failure, major body temperature changes, and blood pressure instability — if untreated, it can be fatal.
why is afm a threat now?
afm is often caused by a group of viruses called enteroviruses. enteroviruses are common and aren’t usually dangerous — but they can be in some cases, especially when it comes to younger, under-developed immune systems. and though the cdc recognized a pattern in outbreaks — 2014, 2016 and 2018 — and was expecting one in 202o, the pandemic and corresponding public health measures disrupted the timing.
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“we really thought this was going to happen in 2020, because we had the last spike in 2018,” pediatric neurologist dr. sarah hopkins told nbc news. “but then with mask-wearing and social distancing and all those things that limit the spread of a respiratory virus, we didn’t have that expected spike.”
but now that many kids are back at school and socializing in bigger groups, though, the threat of afm has returned.
what do we know about afm from past spikes?
the risk of contracting afm is highest in the fall, between august and november. cases are likely to continue rising over the next few months, according to the cdc.
the good news is that most children who contract the illness won’t have severe symptoms. most kids will have regular cold symptoms, or may not even realize they’re sick. only about one in four children will experience nausea, headache, fever and soreness, according to webmd. and only about one in 200 will experience paralysis. but if that happens, it’s crucial to seek medical attention right away.
the respiratory symptoms usually go away before the neurological ones start, stanford university neurology professor dr. keith van haren told nbc.
“when the neurologic symptoms begin, they can begin pretty suddenly,” he said. “they can peak within the course of hours in a way that can be a little bit startling.”
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that’s when parents should take action, dr. matt elrick, assistant professor of neurology at the kennedy krieger institute who specializes in afm, told abc news.
“the warning sign is often, you know, a child who’s recovering from a routine illness and then the recovery stops looking like what you would expect — they’re now getting worse again, and especially if they become weak,” elrick explained.
what’s the connection between afm and polio?
polio has largely been eradicated in most of the world, including canada, due to vaccination. (although, disturbingly, polio cases re-emerged in new york this summer.) polio is a contagious viral illness that can cause nerve injury that leads to permanent paralysis. the full name for the illness caused by the poliovirus is poliomyelitis. both illnesses share the name “myelitis,” which refers to inflammation of the spinal cord.
afm is similar to polio in certain ways, the cdc explains: both illnesses cause lesions in the spinal cord’s grey matter, and both cause limb weakness than can lead to paralysis. but afm is a different illness, because it isn’t caused by the poliovirus.
how can you protect yourself and your children from afm?
there’s no definitive way the illness can be avoided, but health canada suggests the same cautionary measures as suggested during regular cold and flu season: frequent handwashing and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, coughing or sneezing into the arm rather than the hand, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, and keeping up to date on vaccinations.
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maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com
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