Body
AFM is a rare and serious disease that affects the spinal cord; the part of the nervous system that carries messages from the brain to the body, and causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to weaken. AFM is a polio-like neurologic disease.
Symptoms include:
- Facial drop and weakness
- Drooping eyelids, or difficulty moving eyes
- Slurred or difficult speech and swallowing
- Sudden weakness in arms or legs
- Loss of muscle tone and reflexes
- Pain in arms or legs is sometimes present
- Respiratory failure
Many times symptoms develop after a viral infection such as poliovirus, West Nile Virus, and Adenovirus, or even a serious cold. AFM is often confused as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) or acute disseminated encephalphalomyelitis, and transverse myelitis.
Prevention of Acute Flaccid Myelitis:
- Stay up to date with Polio vaccines
- Minimize exposure to mosquitos
For more information - AFM resources:
CDC- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Acute Flaccid Myelitis
NIH- GARD - Genetic and Rare Diseases Info Acute Flaccid Myelitis
Kids Health - For Parents - What is Acute Flaccid Myelitis?
Transvers Myelitis Association
You Might Also Be Interested In:
Transverse Myelitis TM LIFE Center resource
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) Information Resources LIFE Center resource
This content is for informational purposes only and may not be comprehensive. Information contained does not imply an endorsement from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and does not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. See here for further details.
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