Weekly Update for Number of U.S. AFM Cases
2018 case count appears to have peaked
Media Statement
For Immediate Release: Monday, December 3, 2018
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
Based on the number of reported cases of AFM in the United States through November 30, 2018, it appears that the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) for AFM has peaked and will continue to decline for the remainder of 2018.
So far in 2018, 134 cases of AFM have been confirmed in 33 states out of 299 cases reported to the CDC. This is an increase of 18 confirmed cases from the previous week, but most of the latest confirmed AFM cases occurred in September and October.
CDC expects states to continue reporting likely AFM cases, and medical experts will continue to review them and determine if they are confirmed. CDC will continue to provide updates on the number of confirmed cases of AFM.
With AFM, CDC has seen a pattern of higher numbers of confirmed cases every 2 years:
- In 2014, CDC confirmed about 120 cases of AFM.
- In 2015, 22 cases of AFM were confirmed by CDC.
- In 2016, the number of confirmed cases increased to 149.
- In 2017, the number of confirmed cases was 33.
Most cases are reported between August and October, and a marked reduction in cases is seen in November. That pattern appears to be repeating in 2018 because states have reported fewer PUIs over the past couple of weeks. CDC expects this decline to continue.
Although fewer cases are expected in coming months, CDC and partners continue to carefully study AFM to gain new understanding of the condition so that we can better diagnose, treat, and prevent it in the future.
