What is AFM?
  • Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a rare, but serious, condition
  • AFM mainly affects children
  • It affects the nervous system, specifically an area of the spinal cord called gray matter, which causes muscles and reflexes to become weak
  • Viruses, including enteroviruses, likely play a role in AFM. More than 90% of patients with AFM had a mild respiratory illness or fever consistent with a viral infection before they developed AFM

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1. What's the situation in Kansas?
2. What is AFM?
3. Are these cases related to Polio?
4. How many cases of AFM do we typically see each year in Kansas?
5. What is KDHE doing about this?
6. Where can we find more information about AFM?