Largest AFM outbreak prompts a call for better case reporting

Acute flaccid myelitis, a mysterious polio-like condition that’s been linked to viruses, is on the rise. According to new CDC statistics, there were 232 new cases of AFM last year, making it the largest wave of cases since the first surge in 2014. The disease most commonly affects young children and can cause muscle weakness as well as respiratory illness. In the wake of these numbers, CDC officials called for better monitoring and reporting of AFM, saying that a delay in contacting the agency was hindering progress toward a cure. The CDC is often only notified of a case after a child has gone home from the hospital, but even so, many hospitals don't have pediatric neurologists or infectious diseases specialists who would be able to identify the disease and report it.