Now 7 Wash. Kids May Have Rare Acute Flaccid Myelitis

OLYMPIA, WA - The state Department of Health has now counted seven possible acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) cases in Washington children, up from five earlier this month. The Centers for Disease Control is investigating the cases to confirm they are AFM.

Medical professionals do not know what causes AFM. The condition can cause temporary limb paralysis and muscle weakness, sometimes affecting the breathing muscles, according to health officials. Some cases have been associated with enteroviruses, but no one common link has been found.

The possible cases include three in King County, and one each in Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit, and Lewis counties. The cases were found in infants and young children.

Although the CDC has tracked an uptick in cases nationally since 2015, AFM is extremely rare. There were only 13 cases in Washington between 2015 and 2017, according to state officials. Ten of those cases were detected in 2016 alone.

The state has set up an information page on AFM that answers common questions about the condition.

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