The mystery polio-like illness that CDC isn’t saying much about


The following was first published in June 2017:

It’s a mysterious disease that’s paralyzed hundreds of American children just like polio. Why isn’t the CDC saying much about it? Sunday our Full Measure cover story tells what I found after speaking to medical experts and filing a Freedom of Information Act request to find information CDC was withholding. And you’ll meet some of the children afflicted by the sudden paralysis.

Scott Thuman takes us to a “City Without Immigrants” in France. He’ll tell us why their controversial plan to reject refugees has led to an economic resurgence there.

And we asked Lisa Fletcher to dig into the plan for the U.S. to return to manned space flight. Where are we going? How long will it take? And how much will it cost?

More stories you’ll only see on Full Measure. @OriginalReporting[hr]

Pre-order my new book “The Smear: How Shady Political Operative and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think and How You Vote.”

iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Amazon


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 thoughts on “The mystery polio-like illness that CDC isn’t saying much about”

  1. Polio like story describes exactly what a Riley County, Ks school teacher died of in April.
    Death actually occurred at KU Med center in Kansas City, after being transferred there from Via Christie St. Marys in Manhattan, KS to St. Joseph’s in Topeka and almost immediately passed on to KU Med. If St. Joe could not handle something and hot potato transferred, it is very serious.

  2. There may be a reason why the CDC isn’t talking. I keep checking on this virus in the news. Seems like it is not that uncommon in countries south of our border. Those young people who may have been exposed over the years (and built up an immunity) may have come into our country exhibiting only cold-like symptoms and were moved quickly and quietly to towns across our country during the previous administration….Thus the 2014 incidents recorded. In the past, people were placed in quarantine. CDC has made a number of mistakes over the past decade. It would be considered politically incorrect to bring this to light during the previous administration.

  3. Daniel R. Rosen, Ph.D.

    The truth is that the CDC is no longer a “first-rate, front-line defense” against infectious disease, and it hasn’t been since the George W Bush administration, when his appointee, Dr. Julie Geberding gutted the agency. She installed an administration of favoritism (for loyalty to her leadership), while driving long-time CDC staff scientists into retirement or positions at other institutions. What remains today is merely an entrenched political bureaucracy. Recall that it was the current director, Dr. Tom Frieden, who personally (and stupidly) told a nurse who had been exposed to ebola virus — and was beginning to show symptoms of infection — that it would be all right for her to fly from Texas to Chicago for a wedding. If there is any kind of epidemic of anything, the CDC will be playing catch-up from day one. Don’t expect them to lead in the fight; they no longer see that as their mission.

Scroll to Top