AFM
Epidemiology
There are no conclusive studies that identify the actual numbers of individuals specifically affected by AFM, but from 2014 to 2018, the CDC confirmed over 500 reports of those affected by AFM. Not all cases are reported to the CDC nor confirmed by the CDC, so this number is likely an underestimation. There have been reports of AFM in both children and adults, but AFM cases primarily affect children under the age of 18.
Until the recent characterization of AFM in 2014, it is likely that many individuals with initial presentation of flaccid limb weakness and/or paralysis have been diagnosed as having transverse myelitis or Guillain Barre Syndrome in previous years.
