Case of rare paralyzing illness confirmed in state

After U.S. health officials on Tuesday reported a jump in cases of a rare paralyzing illness in children, a case was confirmed in a patient in Oklahoma.

The Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday told the Oklahoma State Department of Health that a patient under age 18 was confirmed among 63 nationwide cases of acute flaccid myelitis.

The patient’s case was first submitted in the summer by Oklahoma State Health Department to the CDC as part of an investigation process into conditions that are challenging for physicians to identify. Jamie Dukes, a spokeswoman for Oklahoma State Health Department, said the final lab work is yet to be completed on that patient’s case.

Cases of AFM have been confirmed in 22 states this year, and at least 65 other illnesses in those states are being investigated, according to the CDC. Similar waves of the same illness occurred in 2014 and 2016.

CDC officials say they haven’t found the cause. Some possible suspects, such as polio and West Nile virus, have been ruled out. Another kind of virus is suspected, but it’s been found in only some of the cases.

“This is a mystery so far,” the CDC’s Nancy Messonnier said.

About 90 percent of the cases are children who have suffered muscle weakness or paralysis, including in the face, neck, back or limbs. The symptoms tend to occur about a week after they had a fever and respiratory illness.

It is “a pretty dramatic disease,” but fortunately most kids recover, Messonnier said.

Health officials call the condition acute flaccid myelitis. The CDC would not release a list of the states reporting probable or confirmed cases. But some states have previously announced clusters, including Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, New York and Washington.

The cases in 2014 and 2016 were partly attributed to particular strains of respiratory germs called enteroviruses, which spread the most in the summer and fall.

Most people infected with enteroviruses suffer only minor symptoms like cough and runny nose. And though enteroviruses have been detected in some paralysis cases, it hasn’t been found in others, CDC officials say.

Lacking an established cause, health officials confirm cases through a review of brain scans and symptoms.

About 120 confirmed cases were reported in 2014. Another 149 were reported in 2016.

The cases this year seem to be spread across much of the country, as were the earlier two waves.