NIH researchers call for stepped-up effort on puzzling polio-like illness

After a surge in cases of acute flaccid myelitis last year, three NIH researchers are urging more study into the cause of the polio-like illness that has puzzled health officials. In 2018, the CDC reported 228 confirmed cases of AFM, which affects gray matter in the spinal cord and leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. The condition has mostly affected children, and there has been a spike in cases every two years since 2014. “The trajectory of AFM over the past 5 years suggests that the problem is getting worse, and so it is critical that we galvanize our efforts to learn more about, and respond adequately to, this ubiquitous, often crippling, continually reemerging group of viruses,” the researchers write.