Source: http://www.cdc.gov/acute-flaccid-mye...veillance.html
AFM Surveillance
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A total of 32 people have been confirmed as AFM cases from January through July, 2016.
^ Cases reported as of July 31, 2016. Case count is preliminary and subject to change.
For more information on AFM case definitions, visit the Case Definitions page.
Number of confirmed AFM cases by year of illness onset, 2014-2016
*Case counts are preliminary and subject to change.
Investigation of Acute Flaccid Myelitis in U.S. Children, August 2014-December 2014
From August to October 2014, CDC received increased reports of children across the United States who developed a sudden onset of weakness in one or more arms or legs with MRI scans that showed inflammation of the gray matter?nerve cells?in the spinal cord. This illness is called acute flaccid myelitis. CDC continues to receive sporadic reports of cases.
From August 2014 to December 2014, CDC verified reports of 120 children in 34 states who developed acute flaccid myelitis that meets CDC's outbreak case definition (onset of acute limb weakness on or after August 1, 2014, and a magnetic resonance image showing a spinal cord lesion largely restricted to gray matter in a patient age <21 years).
The specific causes of this illness are still under investigation. However, these cases are most similar to illnesses caused by viruses. See a list of viruses associated with acute flaccid myelitis.
The apparent increase in cases of acute flaccid myelitis in 2014 coincided with a national outbreak of severe respiratory illness among children caused by enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). However, despite this close association in timing, a cause for the 2014 acute flaccid myelitis cases has not been determined.
See Prevention for information about how to protect your family from acute flaccid myelitis.
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What CDC is Doing
To further understand the impact of AFM and help identify a cause of AFM in the United States, CDC is currently:
For more information, see COCA Clinical Reminder (August 27, 2015) ? Notice to Clinicians: Continued Vigilance Urged for Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis.
The 2014 investigation summary is available here: Acute Flaccid Myelitis in the United States?August ? December 2014: Results of Nation-Wide Surveillance.
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AFM Surveillance
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A total of 32 people have been confirmed as AFM cases from January through July, 2016.
^ Cases reported as of July 31, 2016. Case count is preliminary and subject to change.
For more information on AFM case definitions, visit the Case Definitions page.
Number of confirmed AFM cases by year of illness onset, 2014-2016
2014 (Aug-Dec) | 120 | 34 |
2015 | 21 | 16 |
2016* | 32 | 17 |
Investigation of Acute Flaccid Myelitis in U.S. Children, August 2014-December 2014
From August to October 2014, CDC received increased reports of children across the United States who developed a sudden onset of weakness in one or more arms or legs with MRI scans that showed inflammation of the gray matter?nerve cells?in the spinal cord. This illness is called acute flaccid myelitis. CDC continues to receive sporadic reports of cases.
From August 2014 to December 2014, CDC verified reports of 120 children in 34 states who developed acute flaccid myelitis that meets CDC's outbreak case definition (onset of acute limb weakness on or after August 1, 2014, and a magnetic resonance image showing a spinal cord lesion largely restricted to gray matter in a patient age <21 years).
- The median age of the children was about 7 years.
- Almost all of them were hospitalized; some were put on ventilators (breathing machines).
- Most patients had fever and/or respiratory illness before onset of neurologic symptoms.
- Eighty percent of the children had elevated white blood cell counts, often with elevated protein levels, in their spinal fluid.
- Half of the children had follow-up information (median period of observation: 4 months) available after their illness; about 85% reported some improvement in symptoms, while 15% showed no improvement. Only three of the children have fully recovered.
- CDC tested many different specimens from these patients for a wide range of pathogens that can result in this syndrome.
- Despite extensive testing, no pathogen was consistently detected in the patients? spinal fluid; a pathogen detected in the patients? spinal fluid would be good evidence to indicate cause of the illness.
The specific causes of this illness are still under investigation. However, these cases are most similar to illnesses caused by viruses. See a list of viruses associated with acute flaccid myelitis.
The apparent increase in cases of acute flaccid myelitis in 2014 coincided with a national outbreak of severe respiratory illness among children caused by enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). However, despite this close association in timing, a cause for the 2014 acute flaccid myelitis cases has not been determined.
See Prevention for information about how to protect your family from acute flaccid myelitis.
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What CDC is Doing
To further understand the impact of AFM and help identify a cause of AFM in the United States, CDC is currently:
- re-emphasizing the importance of continued attention by healthcare professionals for cases of AFM among all age groups
- verifying reports of cases of AFM
- working with healthcare professionals and state and local health departments to investigate and better understand the cases of AFM, including potential causes and how often the illness occurs
- testing specimens, including stool, respiratory and cerebrospinal fluid, from people with AFM, when specimens are provided to CDC
- providing information to healthcare professionals, policymakers, general public, and partners in various formats, such as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, health alerts, websites, social media, and presentations
- pursuing an approach that uses multiple methods to further explore the potential association of AFM with possible causes as well as risk factors for AFM. This includes collaborating with several medical institutions to review MRI scans of children from the past 10 years to determine how many AFM cases occurred before 2014.
For more information, see COCA Clinical Reminder (August 27, 2015) ? Notice to Clinicians: Continued Vigilance Urged for Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis.
The 2014 investigation summary is available here: Acute Flaccid Myelitis in the United States?August ? December 2014: Results of Nation-Wide Surveillance.
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