CDC creates task force to find cause of spike in polio-like illness afflicting kids

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is putting together a task force aimed at finding and containing the cause of a spike of a rare illness paralyzing children.

The CDC said on Monday that the task force would include various scientific, medical, and public health experts to investigate why the illness, called acute flaccid myelitis, has increased in the U.S. over the past couple of years. There is no known cause of the disease, which affects the central nervous system.

“This task force will ensure that the full capacity of the scientific community is engaged and working together to provide important answers and solutions to actively detect, more effectively treat, and ultimately prevent AFM and its consequences,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a release on Monday.

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