Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, M.D. has convened a panel of scientific, medical and public health experts to help the agency define the cause of acute flaccid myelitis and improve treatment and outcomes for patients. The rare but serious condition affects the spinal cord, causing weakness in one or more limbs. Cases have tripled this year to 106, all but five in children, and also surged in 2014 and 2016. The task force is scheduled to submit its first report to CDC’s Office of Infectious Diseases’ Board of Scientific Counselors Dec. 6 in Atlanta.

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