Will an AFM Peak Return?

Knowing something is wrong with your child is terrifying for any parent, but the mystery becomes more frightening when the symptoms even puzzle the experts. In 2018, at a peak in cases of acute flaccid myelitis, also known as AFM, otherwise healthy kids experienced debilitating paralysis. Researchers of this perplexing illness braced for a surge in 2022 that never came, and now there is talk about a possible increase of AFM this year.

To break down the past and prepare for the future, we are joined by two experts. Kevin Messacar, MD, and Hai Nguyen-Tran, MD, who both specialize in pediatric infectious disease at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Messacar is an associate professor and Dr. Nguyen-Tran is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss: 

• What the history of AFM tells the medical community.
• Why it’s so tricky to diagnose and identify.
• How primary care providers can properly prepare.