An illness that has afflicted more than a dozen children with some paralysis is subsiding in Colorado, doctors say. The illness, called Acute Flaccid Myelitis, is an infection that can cause children to have weakness in limbs or facial muscles.
Since Aug. 1, doctors identified 14 children infected in Colorado. But they haven’t seen any new cases in the last two weeks.
Most were treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and one child was treated at Denver Health Medical Center.
“It’s been two weeks since we’ve had our last case, so hopefully in Colorado we are done for this season, we will not receive any more cases,” said Dr. Teri Schreiner from Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Eleven have returned to home and school, but only one is now symptom-free, she added.
“In most of those cases, they haven’t yet returned to have full strength in whatever limb has been involved," says Schreiner. "So, they’re functioning, but with a weak arm or a weak leg or in some cases a weak face.”
Two remain hospitalized, and most have seen their symptoms improve partially, says Schreiner.
She says just one of the children has fully returned to normal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s now confirmed 64 cases of the virus in 28 states. It may be linked with enterovirus, a respiratory virus.
