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Key Messages
- California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges clinicians and local health departments to remain vigilant for acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which presents as sudden limb weakness usually in children and can lead to permanent paralysis.
- Increased summer travel and gatherings may elevate circulation of respiratory pathogens, including enterovirus D68 (EV‑D68), a virus previously associated with AFM surges.
- Although AFM and EV‑D68 activity remain low in 2026, providers should stay alert for potential increases in EV‑D68 respiratory disease and subsequent AFM cases.
- Clinicians should also consider poliovirus in patients with sudden limb weakness and obtain whole‑stool samples, especially when patients are under‑vaccinated or unvaccinated.
- Clinicians who suspect AFM in a patient should notify Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180.
Full Advisory: Stay Alert for Acute Flaccid Myelitis in Late Summer and Early Fall