CDC Confirms 62 Cases of Rare, Polio-Like Illness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday there are at least 62 confirmed cases this year of acute flaccid myelitis, a rare illness that “causes weakness in the arms or legs.” The cases are spread across 22 states and represent an increase from the previously reported 32 confirmed cases. The agency is currently investigating an additional 65 suspected cases of the rare, polio-like disease. Health officials told the Associated Press the cause of the illness was still a “mystery,” and the spike in case numbers seem to be “following an every-other-year pattern.” While 2017 only saw 33 cases of AFM in the entire year, 149 cases occurred in 2016. The AP also reported “about 90 percent of the cases are children” and most of them recover.