Federal health officials released updated data on the Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) situation in the United States year-to-date, and in September we seen a significant number of cases reported.

As of September 2016, 89 people in 33 states were confirmed to have AFM. This is up from 50 cases reported at the end of August.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes even with an increase in cases in 2016 (up some 400 percent when only 21 cases were reported for all of 2015) , AFM remains a very rare disease (less than one in a million).

However, health officials are concerned about the increase in cases in recent months.

CDC is intensifying efforts to understand the cause and risk factors of AFM.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare illness that anyone can get. It affects a person’s nervous system, specifically the spinal cord. AFM can result from a variety of causes, including viral infections.

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