Polio has been eradicated in most parts of the world, and just as others are edging towards a similar solution, a similar disease has reared its ugly head.
In places such as the UK, polio is a distant memory, with vaccinations effective at eliminating traces of the once deadly virus.
Other countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, have seen continued incidence as they have less access to proper medical care.
The new infection, known as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), has touched down in areas where the Polio once wreaked havoc, and 127 people have been infected.
What is Acute Flaccid Myelitis?
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AFM is on the list of rare diseases in the USA, known to affect the spinal cord.
Due to the location, AFM disables different bodily functions, mainly preventing the use of arms and legs.
Muscle tone and reflexes are also affected, but the most serious effects come when the disease makes its way to the respiratory system.
When respiratory muscles begin to weaken, people will find it much more difficult to breathe, and may eventually lose their ability to do so without assistance.
The virus is generally more present in children, where it can also be the most dangerous, but can spread to adults.
Possible symptoms include:
– Weakness/loss of muscle tone and reflexes in the arms or legs
– Facial weakness or drooping (including drooping eyelids)
– Difficulty moving the eyes
– Difficulty swallowing
– Slurred speech
Treatment for AFM is at the moment non-existent, but staying up-to-date with Polio vaccines and minimised mosquito exposure can prevent the disease materialising.
Which states are affected by AFM?
More than 127 people have been infected by AFM this year, with Centre for Disease Control (CDC) officials baffled.
From those 127 illnesses, 62 are officially confirmed cases of AFM which span 22 different states.
Among them are Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Centre for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases talked to TIME magazine about the outbreak.
She confirmed a definitive cause of the disease has so far eluded health officials.
She said: “We have not been able to find the cause of the majority of AFM cases.
“We have detected enterovirus in several of these individual cases.”
Enteroviruses are the cause of diseases like AFM, but are not restricted to just the one disease.
Meningitis and encephalitis are also caused by Enteroviruses, so confirmation of AFM in particular is difficult without further investigation.