ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A Florida state health official confirms there now are two possible cases of acute flaccid myelitis under investigation, up from a single case a week ago.
The disorder has been called polio-like, affecting a person's nervous system. It can paralyze a child's arms or legs. Nick Van Der Linden, the Florida Department of Health's interim spokesman, said he cannot disclose additional information other than a second case has been discovered so far this year.
More: Scientists are searching for answers to AFM, the illness causing polio-like paralysis in children
"Physicians are only required to report true poliomyelitis cases in Florida," Linden said. "There are several related viruses in the enterovirus family that can cause this type of clinical presentation. This year we have had two cases reported that are under investigation. Due to the rare nature, we are not releasing location or any identifying information."
A 3-year-old Jacksonville girl became Florida's first case of acute flaccid myelitis or AFM. Reba Faircloth, said her mother, was usually energetic but suddenly lost sensation in her arms and legs. She was placed in an intensive care unit at Wolfson Children's Hospital in mid-October.
AFM is known to peak in the summer an early fall, with at least 60 cases confirmed in 22 states this year.
It's a tricky illness to diagnose because it's similar to conditions like poliovirus, West Nile virus and other adenoviruses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the worst cases "are unmistakable," Kevin Messacar, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, told the USA Today.
In those situations, children cannot move and do not appear to get better, requiring immediate medical care.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect that the cases were suspected and under investigation. A single case in Florida has since been fully confirmed.
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