Wellness

[MorningLover]

 Acute Flaccid Myelitis may be on the rise again.

Children’s Hospital Confirms 3 Cases Of Acute Flaccid Myelitis, A Mysterious Polio-Like Illness, In Pittsburgh

Three cases of a mysterious illness that partially paralyzes children and is likened to polio have now been confirmed in Pittsburgh. It is called Acute Flaccid Myelitis, or AFM, and it affects the body’s nervous system, specifically the spinal cord, and can cause paralysis.

38 confirmed cases in 16 states so far. Now it’s in Pittsburgh.

It resembles polio, but unlike polio, there is no vaccine for AFM. What causes it is unknown, possibly a virus, but doctors just don’t know.

Symtoms include: weakness of the limbs, facial drooping and trouble swallowing or speaking.

It can leaves kids struggling for years. Some never recover.

[x Hedge]

Acute Flaccid Myelitis attacks brain and spinal cord. Average age, according to wiki is 10y/o.

Unfortunately, there are several other devastating diseases in this group. Unlike Polio, most are unheard of by the general public due to their rarity.

Their long term effect depends on the part of the nervous system that's attacked, severity, degree of residual CNS/nerve damage, and medical care.

In 2003 I had an acute attack of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which is in the same family of neurological illnesses. GBS primarily attacks the long nerves coming off the spinal cord, but in my case also affected the short nerves one side of my face

[SilleeMee]

It's an enterovirus that causes this illness. Polio virus is in the same family of viruses, they are closely related. Here in Colorado there has been a spike in the number of cases, all children. Officials here have confirmed the cases to be enterovirus (non-polio strain). No fatalities, just flu-like symptoms.

[Snowpuppy]

Maybe your friend 151949 will chime in?

She's a nurse from Pittsburgh, too.

[hckynut]

@Snowpuppy

Not really sure the why of you mentioning the retired nurse, 151949, without using the @ in front of her nik. I do have my suspicions. And without your mentioning the "who", not really sure who you are addressing, without back tracking to see who mentioned Pittsburgh.

C'mon now, spell it out for simpletons like me, eh?

hckynut(john)

[Lindsays Grandma]

I recently read they had several cases in Minnesota as well.  I have a friend who lives there whose daughter is a nurse at a Mayo Clinic and I am going to contact him to find out if he knows anything more about it.  I remember back in the 50's when we had a terrible polio scare, those with young children were terrified, which I can fully relate to.