10/30/26 Public Health Education Topic: Acute Flaccid Myelitis
Per CDC
Key points
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is an uncommon but serious neurologic condition.
It causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak.
Most AFM cases have been in young children.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of AFM are:
Sudden onset of arm or leg weakness
Loss of muscle tone
Loss of reflexes
Causes
AFM can be caused by viruses, including enteroviruses. AFM can also be caused by other viruses, including flaviviruses (West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus), herpesviruses, and adenoviruses.
Enteroviruses are common and usually cause mild illness. We are working to learn why a small number of people develop AFM after having a virus.
Prevention
Since we don't know what triggers AFM in a person, there is no specific action to take to prevent AFM. But you can take steps to prevent getting sick from a virus.
To learn more please visit: About Acute Flaccid Myelitis | Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) | CDC
