GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anticipates that 2020 will be another peak year for cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) which is an uncommon but serious neurologic condition that affects mostly children.
The disease has peaked every two years between August and November in the U. S. since 2014.
CDC’s review of cases from 2018 showed:
- 76% sought medical care within one day, 64% presented to the emergency department
- 98% of patients with AFM were hospitalized
- 54% of patients were admitted to an intensive care unit; 1 in 4 hospitalized patients needed mechanical ventilation to help them breathe
Dr. Dan Fain a pediatric neurologist with Spectrum Health let's parents know how concerned they should be about AFM.
