By Anna DeNelsky
Enterovirus (EV) infection is likely the culprit in acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare, yet serious disease responsible for partially paralyzing more than 500 children in the United States since 2014, according to a recent study (mBio 2019 10 (4): e01903-19. doi: 10.1128/mBio.01903-19).
Affecting the nervous system, specifically the gray matter of the spinal cord, AFM causes muscle and reflex weakness. In some cases, AFM can lead to partial or complete paralysis,