Graph showing the seasonal nature of the occurrence of AFM: Notable increases occurred in the late summers of 2014, 2016, and 2018. A seasonal pattern is seen in outbreaks, with a marked increase in cases reported in the late summer and early fall. The CDC has determined and submitted to GenBank complete or nearly complete genomic sequences for three known strains of the virus, which are "genetically related to strains of EV-D68 virus that were detected in previous years in the United States, Europe, and Asia." While rates of paralytic symptoms appear to be correlated with the number of respiratory infections, in initial anecdotal reports, the cases are not clustered within a family or school, suggesting that the paralysis per se is not directly contagious, but arises as a very rare complication of the common respiratory infection. Cases of similar illnesses have been reported in Canada, Northern Europe, and Japan.Over 90% of reported cases are in children.
Acute flaccid myelitis
Vascular myelopathy
CMV polyradiculomyelopathy
Guillain–Barré syndrome
Subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration
Transverse myelitis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis