WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNN) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is telling doctors to be on the lookout for a polio-like illness that tends to peak in the late summer and early fall.
So far this year, there have been 11 confirmed cases of acute flaccid myelitis in eight states out of 57 patients under investigation.
The CDC says acute flaccid myelitis is a rare but serious condition that affects the nervous system, specifically the area of the spinal cord called gray matter.
The CDC estimates it affects fewer than 1 or 2 in a million children each year in the United States.
The agency says there are no known treatments or ways to prevent it.
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