Another Burst of Polio-Like Cases in Children Alarms Doctors

Two years ago, Christa Bottomley’s healthy 5-year-old son caught a viral cold like the rest of the family. Everyone else recovered, but in his case the virus triggered a neurological condition.

The condition is called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. Though rare, it has jumped onto the national radar. As doctors struggle to explain its third nationwide peak since 2014, families like the Bottomleys are trying to provide hope to others hit with the sudden, polio-like disease and to push for more awareness in the medical community.