More 'Polio-Like' Illnesses Reported In US, Including New Jersey

A "polio-like" illness that's appeared in at least 16 states – including New Jersey – is worrying federal health officials who say the rare disease has sickened at least 38 people in recent months.

The disease, acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), has sickened three people in New Jersey this year, two of which were diagnosed in August, according to Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.

Most of the cases have happened within the past two months, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials from various states. Six people were diagnosed in Minnesota in recent weeks.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said there are nine "clinically diagnosed" cases — all children — of AFM in northern Illinois. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also said recently that the state has had 14 cases of AFM this year.

Leusner said the New Jersey cases are not part of a national CDC investigation into the rise of cases. The CDC has seen a rise in cases not just in recent months, but also since 2014 – and New Jersey has had 10 cases since then.

AFM is a rare but serious condition that affects the nervous system, specifically the area of spinal cord called "gray matter," which causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak, according to the CDC.

This condition is not new, but the increase in cases the CDC has seen starting in 2014 is new, the agency says.

Most people will have sudden onset of arm or leg weakness and loss of muscle tone and reflexes. Some people, in addition to arm or leg weakness, will have:

• facial droop/weakness,
• difficulty moving the eyes,
• drooping eyelids, or
• difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech.

Numbness or tingling is rare in people with AFM, although some people have pain in their arms or legs. Some people with AFM may be unable to pass urine, according to the CDC.

The most severe symptom of AFM is respiratory failure that can happen when the muscles involved with breathing become weak. This can require urgent ventilator support. In very rare cases, it is possible that the process in the body that triggers AFM may also trigger other serious neurologic complications that could lead to death, according to the CDC.

If you or your child develops any of these symptoms, you should seek medical care right away. Your doctor may collect information about your symptoms and send this information to their health departments.

AFM or similar neurologic conditions may have a variety of possible causes such as viruses, environmental toxins, and genetic disorders. Certain viruses that can cause AFM or similar neurologic conditions are:

• poliovirus and non-polio enteroviruses,
• West Nile virus (WNV) and viruses in the same family as WNV, specifically Japanese encephalitis virus and Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and
• adenoviruses.

There is no specific treatment for AFM, but a doctor who specializes in treating brain and spinal cord illnesses may recommend certain interventions on a case-by-case basis, according to the CDC.

For more information on what CDC is doing, see our AFM Investigation page.

YouTube photo/video