Seventh Minnesota child contracts rare paralyzing illness

Published 7:40 am Thursday, October 18, 2018

ST. PAUL— A seventh child has been diagnosed with a rare, paralyzing illness that has seen an uptick in cases this year in the U.S., the Minnesota Department of Health said.

The symptoms in the latest case match those of the other children in Minnesota who have been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, health officials said Tuesday. The polio-like illness causes limited mobility or paralysis.

U.S. health officials on Tuesday reported a jump in cases of AFM. At least 62 cases have been confirmed in 22 states this year and at least another 65 illnesses in those states are being investigated as possible AFM cases.

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Minnesota’s state epidemiologist, Jayne Griffith, said parents should watch their children for signs of the illness.

“Note if anything seems different in terms of the way they’re moving or the way they may be holding an arm or a leg or maybe talking about muscle pains or aches,” she said.