US sees rise in rare polio like syndrome of unknown cause

The US has seen a sharp increase in cases of a rare condition called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), most recently in Washington state where eight children have been diagnosed in recent weeks.

The children, who range in age from four to 14, come from five different counties.

Scott Linquist, a state infectious diseases specialist, said that no common exposure had been identified. “At this …