At a glance
CDC is conducting research to learn more about AFM and providing guidance and education to health departments, partners, healthcare providers, and parents.
Overview
CDC continues to receive and investigate reports of suspected AFM cases sent by health departments. We look for possible risk factors and causes, as well as clues about why some people develop this condition while most do not. We work with health departments and partners to educate clinicians about AFM and how to report suspected cases, so we can continue to learn more about this condition.
Learning more about AFM
CDC is learning more about AFM through:
- Enhancing surveillance for AFM, so that suspected cases are recognized and reported to CDC.
- Describing the clinical characteristics of patients with AFM, including their symptoms, test results, treatments received, and outcomes.
- Testing specimens from patients with AFM to detect and identify viruses and other pathogens (germs) to learn more about what causes AFM.
- Collaborating with neurology and infectious disease experts.
To learn about participating in AFM Research, visit How to Get Involved in Research
Supporting health departments
CDC supports health departments through:
- Providing guidance and tools for health departments to report suspected AFM cases.
- Providing technical assistance to states interested in confirming their own cases that includes standard operating procedures, a medical chart abstraction tool, and training on how to interpret the information.
Educating healthcare providers
Educating healthcare providers through:
- Developing resources, educational activities, and materials about AFM for healthcare providers, including health alerts, job aids, toolkits, webinars, and scientific publications and presentations.
- Collaborating with health departments and partners such as professional medical organizations to distribute these resources and educate healthcare providers about AFM.
Communicating with parents of children affected by AFM
CDC communicates with parents of children affected by AFM through:
- Sharing regular updates about CDC's work and research on AFM.
- Collaborating with AFM advocacy organizations to raise awareness about AFM and share information and resources.
About the AFM Task Force
The Acute Flaccid Myelitis Task Force was convened in 2018 and consists of a group of physicians, scientists, and public health experts from a variety of disciplines and institutions across the United States. The Task Force assists in the ongoing effort to define the causes of AFM and improve treatment and outcomes for patients with AFM.