Tag: Nancy Messonnier

Breaking News – The CDC has updated the Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) case counts. (see below).

We continue to get regular updates from the CDC about AFM.

Unfortunately, we aren’t getting the real answer we were looking for – how to stop the outbreak.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis Update

Since the last update, we have learned that:

• the case count is up to 223 confirmed cases among 374 reports, with most cases being confirmed at this point (2018)
• cases have been reported in 41 states (2018)
• there have been 2 confirmed cases (NC and UT) among 15 reported cases so far this year (2019)

That means that we have clearly exceeded the last record of 149 cases in 2016.

There are also 49 confirmed cases and 28 cases under investigation in Canada since January 2018.

In other news:

• the CSTE will be issuing issued a new statement on AFM reporting reaffirming that they “are confident state and local health departments are working closely with doctors to ensure suspected cases are reported.”
• the CDC has posted updated treatment guidelines
• an MMWR early release, Increase in Acute Flaccid Myelitis — United States, 2018,  will provide details on the first 80 cases of 2018 – but sound similar to what we have learned from outbreaks in 2014 and 2016…
• the CDC is working with local and state health departments on better long term tracking of cases – something parents have been pushing for!
• an AFM Task Force has been established to “bring together experts from a variety of scientific, medical, and public health disciplines to help solve this critical public health issue.”

Most importantly though, we again learned that the CDC still doesn’t feel that they have enough evidence to say that any one thing is causing AFM.

AFM Cases in the United States

In addition to this year’s cases, there were:

• 33 confirmed cases in 16 states in 2017
• 149 confirmed cases in 39 states in 2016
• 22 confirmed cases in 17 states in 2015
• 120 confirmed cases in 34 states in 2014 – with most of the cases being reported in California (24), Colorado (10), Utah (6), Massachusetts (9), Virginia (5), Indiana (5), and Illinois (4)

What’s next?

More on Acute Flaccid Myelitis News

• AFM Task Force Report
• National Overview of Acute Flaccid Myelitis—United States, 2014–2018
• CDC Telebriefing: Update on Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) in the U.S. (Transcript)
• MMWR – Increase in Acute Flaccid Myelitis — United States, 2018
• CSTE – Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) Statement from the CSTE Executive Board
• CDC – AFM Investigation
• CSTE – Revision to the Standardized Surveillance and Case Definition for Acute Flaccid Myelitis
• CDC – Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Interim Considerations for Clinical Management
• CDC Telebriefing: Update on Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) in the U.S. (Oct 2018)
• Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM): What Health Care Providers Need to Know, COCA Call, November 13, 2018.
• Why Do Some People Think That Vaccines Cause AFM?
• The Case for Making AFM Reporting Mandatory
• Study – Acute Flaccid Myelitis in the United States, August–December 2014: Results of Nationwide Surveillance
• Information for Canadians regarding reports of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
• Study – Increase in Enterovirus D68 Infections in Young Children, United Kingdom, 2006–2016

Updated on March 27, 2019