Arkansas confirms 3 children ill with polio-like condition

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Federal and state health officials have confirmed that three Arkansas children have a rare, polio-like illness that can cause paralysis in the arms and legs.

The Arkansas Department of Health announced the diagnoses on Monday following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's investigation into an increase in reported cases of acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Dirk Haselow says health authorities don't know how the condition is spread, what causes it or how to prevent it. AFM was first discovered in 2014 and its symptoms include sudden arm or leg weakness, facial droop, difficulty swallowing and slurred speech.

Haselow says the illness targets children between ages 4 and 5.