Acute flaccid myelitis "is a medical emergency that requires immediate recognition and care," urged CDC director Robert Redfield, on a conference call with the media Tuesday.
Symptoms of AFM include sudden arm or leg weakness, difficulty walking, limb pain, back pain or neck pain.
Parents are being asked to seek medical care immediately if a child develops a sudden arm or leg weakness.
Most children with AFM will have a fever or respiratory illness about six days before weakness occurs.
At least 98% of those children were hospitalized, and over half were admitted to the intensive care unit, while 20% required a ventilator to breathe.
And while most parents sought medical attention within one day of developing AFM symptoms, a concerning 10% were not hospitalized after four days of weakness.
Parents should look out for any sudden weakness of the arms or legs in addition to pain in these areas, the neck or the back
Clark urged pediatricians and other health care providers to "consider and properly recognize [AFM], hospitalize immediately, take specimens as soon as possible and report [the case] to local health authorities."
If suspecting AFM, health care providers should order an MRI in order to distinguish AFM from other neurological conditions
"It's vital that all health care providers maintain a high index of suspicion for AFM in children with acute limb weakness or neck or back pain that develops after an upper respiratory illness from late summer through fall," said Dr
If this trend continues, parents need to know that time is critical and potentially lifesaving with AFM, so even in the age of COVID-19 seek medical attention immediately if your child has sudden numbness in their arms or legs
is a dermatology resident at Northwestern in Chicago and a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit
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