OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A case of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) has been confirmed in Douglas County, according to the health department.
It is the third confirmed case in the area with two others confirmed by the Sarpy/Cass Health Department.
“AFM remains extremely rare,” Health Director Dr. Adi Pour said in a release. “It is not something that can be passed from person to person.”
There have been fewer than 500 confirmed cases in the United States in the last five years, when the condition began being monitored by the CDC.
Symptoms of AFM include sudden weakness in the arms or legs, drooping of the eyelids, difficulty moving eyes, slurred speech or difficulty swallowing. Experts have yet to find the exact cause of AFM and there is no specific treatment. Data on the illness only goes back to 2014, but 2018 has seen more AFM cases than any year prior.
