OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - State health officials say a fifth confirmed case of a rare, polio-like illness has been confirmed in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release Friday that the fifth case of acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, was confirmed in a child from Douglas County. Officials say the child was hospitalized and later released. No other information about the child has been released.
The state’s first case was reported in November.
AFM can cause paralysis in the arms and legs and affects mainly children.
An increase in cases nationwide started in 2014. The department says that since August 2014, there have been 537 confirmed cases of AFM in the U.S.
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