PITTSBURGH — There is another suspected case of acute flaccid myelitis in our area, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reviewing this and another suspected case.
One patient with a suspected case of AFM is a resident of Allegheny County and a second patient is from Beaver County.
The total number of confirmed AFM cases in the area now stands at five.
Four patients are residents of Allegheny County and one patient is a resident of Washington County, the health department said.
Following is an update on the number of confirmed and suspected cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) in our area: ...
Posted by Allegheny County Health Department on Monday, November 5, 2018
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Acute flaccid myelitis is a condition that affects the nervous system, specifically the area of the spinal cord called gray matter, according to the CDC. The condition causes weakness in the muscles and reflexes in the body.
Since August 2014, the CDC has seen an increase in the number of AFM cases in the United States.
Most of the 386 confirmed cases of AFM from August 2014 through September 2018 have been in children, according to the CDC.
While there has been an increase, the CDC estimates less than one in a million people in the United States will get AFM every year.
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Causes for the majority of AFM cases have not been confirmed. However, the CDC said there are a variety of possible causes, such as viruses and environmental toxins.
The following are symptoms of AFM:
- Weakness and loss of muscle tone and reflexes in the arms or legs
- Facial droop or weakness
- Difficulty moving the eyes
- Drooping eyelids
- Difficulty swallowing
- Slurred speech
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