OLYMPIA — State and local health officials are investigating a possible sixth case of a rare nervous system disorder that causes sudden limb paralysis in children.
KOMO-TV reports the condition is called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. It attacks the nervous system, particularly the spinal cord, and can lead to arm or leg weakness and loss of muscle reflexes.
The Washington Department of Heath said Thursday that all the children are 6 or younger. They had symptoms of a respiratory illness before developing symptoms of AFM.
The children live in King, Pierce, Lewis, Snohomish and Skagit counties.
Specialists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control will confirm the diagnoses.
The CDC says the condition is not new, but there’s been an increase in cases starting in 2014.
