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Health Department: Rare, polio-like illness confirmed in Massachusetts

BOSTON — A rare and serious polio-like illness found in children has surfaced in Massachusetts, according to the department of health.

A spokesperson confirmed to Boston 25 News two cases have been confirmed in the Commonwealth in 2018 and four additional cases are being investigated.

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According to CNN, more than half of all U.S. states have had confirmed or possible cases of acute flaccid myelitis this year.

The disease can cause polio-like symptoms, including paralysis, and mostly affects children.

According to CNN, the states affected include: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.

A Department of Health spokesperson sent the following information on the disease to Boston 25 News:

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In 2018, in Massachusetts, there has been one confirmed case of acute flaccid myelitis and an additional six suspected cases are being investigated. The one confirmed case is from August.
AFM is a serious condition, and there is no specific treatment. Cases have been reported since 2014 with the most cases reported in 2014 (120 cases) and 2016 (149 cases). AFM remains very rare (less than one in a million) even with an increase in cases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC says there are several possible causes of AFM such as viruses (e.g., poliovirus, non-polio enteroviruses such as EV-A71, adenoviruses, and West Nile virus), environmental toxins, and genetic disorders. A condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys body tissue that it mistakes for foreign material may also cause AFM.

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health collaborates with CDC to actively investigate AFM cases.

Symptoms

Most patients will have sudden onset of weakness and loss of muscle tone and reflexes in the arms and legs. Some patients, in addition to the limb weakness, will experience: 
•    facial droop or weakness, 
•    difficulty moving the eyes, 
•    drooping eyelids, or 
•    difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech.

Numbness or tingling is rare in patients with AFM, though some patients have pain in their arms or legs. Some patients with AFM may be unable to pass urine. The most severe symptom of AFM is respiratory failure that can happen when the muscles involved with breathing become weak. This can require urgent ventilator support (breathing machines).

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