Texas Children Have Highest Number Of Terrible Mystery Disease AFM

SAN ANGELO, TX-- A new mysterious paralyzing disease is popping up all around the United States, and Texas has the highest amount.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare but serious condition. It affects the nervous system, specifically the area of the spinal cord called gray matter, which causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak.

There are various symptoms including sudden arm or leg weakness, difficulty moving the eyes or drooping eyelids, facial droop or weakness, and difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech.

Numbness or tingling is rare in people with AFM, although some people have pain in their arms or legs. Some people with AFM may be unable to pass urine (pee). 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 machine). In very rare cases, it is possible that the process in the body that triggers AFM may also trigger other serious neurologic complications that could lead to death.

Right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been investigating the illness, but they still don't know how to prevent it, how it's spreading or where it came from. 

The majority of people with the disease are from Texas, so if your child seems to have symptoms take them to the nearest hospital immediately.