The number of children diagnosed with a polio-like illness is on the rise in the United States, according to a report released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far this year, there have been 116 confirmed cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in 31 states, with three cases confirmed in Alabama. Another 170 cases are currently under investigation by the CDC.

AFM is a rare but serious condition that 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. Like polio, some people affected by the disease regain the use of their paralyzed limbs, while others remain paralyzed from the neck down and require a ventilator to breathe.

Since 2014, when the CDC began to monitor the condition, there have been 430 confirmed cases of AFM, mostly in children. The CDC reports it has seen an increase in AFM cases every two years since 2014, with the majority of patients getting sick in late summer and fall.

Symptoms of AFM include sudden limb weakness and loss of muscle tone, facial droop or weakness, difficulty swallowing or slurred speech, and difficulty moving the eyes or drooping eyelids. Additionally the CDC has found more than 90 percent of patients had a mild respiratory illness or fever consistent with a viral infection before developing AFM.

Although the CDC estimates fewer than one or two in a million children in the U.S. will get AFM each year, Athens-based nurse practitioner Stan Smallwood said parents should not hesitate to take their child to a medical professional if he or she displays any AFM symptoms.

Smallwood, who operates Twilight Medical Clinic, a family practice and urgent-care facility, said in the three years he has been in practice, he has not encountered any cases of AFM.

“I pray we won’t because as far as I can tell there is no vaccination or cure for the disease at this point,” he said. “It has definitely been in the back of my mind. I have done my research, so I can be ready just in case it does come here.”

The Alabama Department of Public Health confirms there is no cure for AFM, but a neurologist may recommend certain interventions on a case-by-case basis. For example, physical or occupational therapy may be recommended to help with limb weakness caused by AFM.

The specific cause of AFM is unclear, with the CDC reporting the condition is caused by a variety of germs, including enteroviruses, West Nile virus, environmental toxins and a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys body tissue that it mistakes for foreign material. The CDC’s Dr. Nancy Messonnier recently confirmed AFM is not caused by poliovirus.

Although AFM is still rare, a substantially larger number of AFM cases have been reported to the CDC in August and September than in previous months this year, Messonnier said.

Prevention

Since AFM is viral in nature, Smallwood said families should take the following preventive measures to possibly mitigate the risk of contracting AFM:

• Wash hands with soap and water often, especially before touching food, after going to the bathroom, before and after coming into contact with someone who is sick or after blowing your nose;

• Make sure you and your children are up to date on all vaccinations; and

• Avoid contact with sick people as much as possible.

The ADPH also recommends household surfaces be kept clean and disinfected and that parents protect their children against mosquito bites with insect repellent.

The CDC is working closely with national experts, healthcare providers and state and local health departments to thoroughly investigate AFM by looking at possible risk factors and causes, figuring out why some people develop the condition, monitoring AFM activity nationwide and updating possible treatment options.

“As a parent myself, I understand what it is like to be scared for your child,” Messonnier said. “Parents need to know that AFM is very rare, even with the increase in cases we are seeing now. While I am concerned about the increase in cases, I want folks to know this work is core to the CDC’s mission to protect America from health threats.”