Potential outbreak of ‘polio-like’ disease in children

The message from the CDC's warning isn't that parents and grandparents should worry over every fever a young child gets this fall, “because the vast majority are going to be a

plain old boring viral infection,” DeBiasi says. “The reason we're telling you about it is so that if you see these unusual symptoms, you won't doubt yourself and say, ‘Well,

I'm just going to wait, you know, a week and see if it goes away.’ You should be empowered to know you need to take the child to an emergency room,” she adds. Experts are not sure why

some kids develop AFM when the majority of people who have a respiratory illness recover with no neurologic symptoms. Most people who get infected with enteroviruses — a large family of

viruses — do not get sick or they have common cold-like symptoms. Another enterovirus — enterovirus A71, or EV-A71 — has also been linked to some cases of AFM. While there is no “specific”

way to prevent AFM, the same preventive actions that reduce a person's risk for a coronavirus infection — frequent handwashing, physical distancing, mask wearing, and cleaning and

disinfecting high-touch surfaces — can also help prevent infections from enteroviruses, CDC officials say. CORONAVIRUS COULD COMPLICATE CASES THIS YEAR It's not fully understood how the

coronavirus will impact AFM cases this year. On one hand, the U.S. may see fewer cases as more students participate in virtual learning and avoid crowds and public outings. However, experts

also are concerned that the intense focus on the pandemic could complicate AFM care this year. For instance, adults worried about coronavirus transmission in health care settings may delay

a necessary trip to the hospital. Emergency room visits dropped 42 percent during the early part of the U.S. outbreak, according to a CDC report. What's more, COVID-19 could distract

clinicians from properly identifying and diagnosing AFM this year. "So that's why we're here, reemphasizing that we are prepared for an AFM outbreak this year — starting soon,

if it's consistent with previous years — and helping physicians think about and understand the signs and symptoms of AFM,” said Tom Clark, M.D., a pediatrician and deputy director of

the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases. “AFM is a medical emergency, and any signs of limb weakness in their kids that develop suddenly, they need to get to the doctor.”