Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare, but serious condition.
- AFM may occur in the weeks after a viral infection, including Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68).
- Most AFM cases have been in young children.
- Children are primarily affected, and AFM cases are usually seen between August and November. AFM is a reportable condition in Kansas.
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare, but serious condition. AFM affects the nervous system, specifically an area of the spinal cord called gray matter, which causes the muscles to become weak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate less than one in a million people in the United States will get AFM each year.
AFM can be caused viruses, including enteroviruses, including Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68).
AFM can also be caused by other viruses, including flaviviruses (West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus), herpesviruses, and adenoviruses.
Other causes of AFM may include environmental toxins or genetic disorders, but these are still being researched.
Because it can be caused by viruses, take basic steps to help keep you and your family healthy:
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often, especially after changing diapers, using the toilet, coughing/sneezing, or blowing your nose.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or upper shirt sleeve (not hands)
- Stay home if you are sick
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Protect yourself from mosquito bites by following the 3 D’s:
- Drain standing water
- Dress in long sleeves/pants,
- Use DEET containing insect repellant
There are no vaccines to prevent AFM, but vaccines may help prevent some viruses linked to AFM.
- Make sure your shots are up to date:
- Poliovirus vaccine can be obtained from the Sedgwick County Health Department. Call 316-660-7300 to make an appointment.
Symptoms include sudden muscle weakness in the arms or legs, often following a respiratory illness. Some other symptoms that patients may have include the following:
- Neck weakness or stiffness
- Drooping eyelids or facial droop
- Difficulty swallowing
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty breathing
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you or your child develop AFM symptoms.
AFM cannot be spread person-to-person.
However, some of the viruses that cause AFM, can be spread from person-to-person through coughing and sneezing (adenoviruses) and contact with feces (poop) of an infected person (poliovirus and non-polio enteroviruses).
Anyone can get AFM, but it mostly affects children.
There is no specific treatment for AFM, but a healthcare provider may recommend physical and occupational therapy to help with arm or leg weakness.
- Acute Flaccid Myelitis (KDHE)
- Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Information for Parents & Caregivers (KDHE)
- Acute Flaccid Myelitis (CDC)
The Kansas Pediatric Acute Respiratory Illness Dashboard tracks emergency department visits among children younger than 13 with respiratory illness and symptoms such as asthma flare-ups, wheezing, bronchospasm, or reactive airway disease. It also includes certain cases of bronchiolitis not caused by RSV.
- Visits with known flu, COVID-19, or RSV are excluded.
- The dashboard does not confirm the specific virus causing illness, but it can help show changes in respiratory illness trends that may be associated with viruses such as EV-D68.