DETROIT Just as parents are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact COVID-19 will have on the return to school, the CDC has issued a warning about another illness. The nationwide cases dropped to 38 in 2017 just before 2018 had the highest number of cases so far with 238 cases in 42 sates, including five cases in Michigan. The peak age of occurrence is 5 years old, but can occur in babies and older children as well. The main symptom parents should be on the lookout for is sudden limb weakness or paralysis, often related to or following a respiratory illness with a fever. The diagnosis is based on specific findings on MRI, a spinal tap is also done to look for other potential causes for the weakness.

DETROIT – Michigan has confirmed its first case of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in 2020, a rare condition that attacks the nervous system, specifically in children. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS) confirmed the first case in a child in Macomb County. As of June 30, the CDC had confirmed 13 cases of AFM in 10 states for 2020, mostly in children. We have seen increases in AFM cases in the U.S. every other year starting in 2014. CDC has tested many different specimens from AFM patients for a wide range of pathogens (germs) that can cause AFM.