MA Now Has Three Cases Of Rare Polio-Like Disease

Massachusetts has reported a third case of a rare polio-like disease called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. The Centers for Disease Control now puts the number of cases nationwide at 182, up from 62 in mid-October, including two in Massachusetts. Thirty-nine states are now affected.

AFM affects the nervous system, weakening the arm and leg muscles and potentially leading to permanent disability. Although it is thought to be caused by a virus, no specific virus has yet been identified as a cause.

More than 90 percent of victims are children, but the CDC estimates that only one or two in a million American children contract the disease each year. Most patients had a mild respiratory illness or fever consistent with a viral infection before they developed AFM.

Patients whose respiratory symptoms develop into overall weakness and drooping of the facial muscles are encouraged to seek immediate medical attention.

No details have been released on the Massachusetts cases.