Johns Hopkins rare neurological disease expert Carlos Pardo-Villamizar, M.D., is available to discuss what is known about the outbreak of the polio-like illness affecting young children in the U.S. Pardo recently authored a paper that analyzed the disease — known as acute flaccid myelitis — seen in related outbreaks in past years. The paper was published in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

The fast-acting illness starts as a respiratory condition that can progress to physical disability within hours, but in some cases there can be a full recovery. The illness emerges each year in the fall season with clusters of children from the same geographical region.

Please let us know if you would like to see the paper or would like to speak with Pardo. Pardo is an associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.