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More than a dozen cases of Enterovirus D68 have been confirmed in New York state, according to officials.CBS photo - "EV-D68 is causing cases of severe respiratory illness ... sometimes resulting in hospitalization, especially among children with asthma," the NYS Department of Health said in a statement Friday.
- Two Connecticut hospitals, including the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, are treating suspected cases Enterovirus D68, the mysterious respiratory illness that has hospitalized children in a dozen states, according to a spokesperson for the hospital.
IN NEW YORK
(CNN) -- More than a dozen cases of Enterovirus D68 have been confirmed in New York state, according to officials.
"EV-D68 is causing cases of severe respiratory illness ... sometimes resulting in hospitalization, especially among children with asthma," the NYS Department of Health said in a statement Friday.
Enteroviruses are quite common in September; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 10 to 15 million people are infected by these viruses each year. But doctors believe this particular type of enterovirus, Enterovirus D68, is causing more serious problems than others have in years past.
As of September 11, more than 80 cases in six other states -- Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri -- have been confirmed to be EV-D68, according to the CDC.
New York is the first state in the Northeast with confirmed cases.
On Thursday, media reports of kids flooding ERs in Alabama and Washington state spoke to the spread of the virus. Other states, including Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah, are also investigating clusters of respiratory illnesses. Several have sent samples to the CDC for testing.
New York sent additional samples from patients with severe respiratory illness to the CDC for confirmation of Enterovirus D68.
The virus is hard to track, as so many enteroviruses cause similar symptoms, and hospitals generally do not test for specific types.
Enteroviruses usually present like the common cold; symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose and a cough. Most people recover without any treatment. But if your child appears to be having trouble breathing, take him or her to a doctor right away.
"It is important that we follow common sense rules to prevent the spread of this virus, as we do for flu and other contagious illnesses," said New York acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. "Because there is no specific treatment or vaccination against this virus, our best defense is to prevent it by practicing proper hygiene."
IN CONNECTICUT
Two Connecticut hospitals, including the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, are treating suspected cases Enterovirus D68, the mysterious respiratory illness that has hospitalized children in a dozen states, according to a spokesperson for the hospital.
"We can confirm that we are treating children with respiratory illnesses at Connecticut Children's who have exhibited symptoms of Enterovirus D68," said hospital spokesman Bob Fraleigh, in a statement Friday night. "At this point it is important to note they are possible cases, not confirmed cases. We will not know anything further until the CDC has had the opportunity to run their tests and then communicate those results back to us."
Hospital officials at Connecticut Children's said lately they've seen an unusual increase in the number of children being rushed to the emergency room with respiratory symptoms and that 8-10 children may have contracted the virus.
Enteroviruses "circulate every single year around this time" and are "fairly common," according to Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief of infectious diseases for St. Francis Hospital. The D-68 strain is affecting kids across the country.
They're not that big of a deal. I think it's catching a lot of attention because it produces a different type of illness in the sense taht it's not just a summer cold. A lot of these children have been coming in wheezing," Wu said.
Enterovirus 68 could be particularly dangerous for kids who have asthma and/or other respiratory illnesses, but Wu said not to panic because most cases are mild and resolve quickly.
"Similar to the common cold, you would give supportive treatment, symptomatic treatment," wu said. "The problem is that in some kids, especially asthmatic, they may have what we call low oxygen levels in their blood."
Enterovirus 68 presents like a bad cold or flu, according to doctors. Symptoms include high fever, runny nose, sneezing, couging, wheezing and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC. No fatalities have been linked to Enterovirus 68.
Children exhibiting symptoms of the virus have been tested for Enterovirus D68 and will receive the results on Monday, according to Connecticut Children's.
"In some cases, it would require oxygen, and it would require hospitalization and breathing treatments," said Dr. Juan Salazar of Connecticut Children's.
Bill Gerrish, of the state Department of Public Health, said Connecticut Children's isn't the only hospital treating possible cases of Enterovirus.
"The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) has received reports from two hospitals in different parts of the state of clusters of severe respiratory illness among young children that could be due to enterovirus D68," Gerrish said in a statement Friday, adding that the DPH is facilitating tests to make specific diagnoses.
There is no known vaccine for the illness, which was first identified in California in 1962, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 97 confirmed cases have been reported around the country from mid-August to Sept. 12, according to Gerrish. Affected states include Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri.
The disease most commonly affects children and teenagers, especially those with asthma. It's spread through saliva and mucus, and officials say schools can serve as incubators.
"The DPH has asked clinicians to consider laboratory testing of respiratory specimens for enteroviruses when the cause of infection in severely ill patients is unclear, and to report clusters of severe respiratory illnesses to their local public health agency and DPH," Gerrish said.
Salazar advises parents to contact their child's primary care doctor if their child has difficulty breathing or a high fever and they have concerns.
"This is the beginning of an epidemic and everyone has to be mindful of that," Salazar said.
Source - http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Enterovirus-Suspected-Connecticut-Disease-274967531.html
IN SAN DIEGO
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Flu season is just around the corner, but a different virus -- that mostly targets children -- is already making the rounds and keeping doctors busy.
Will Cornejo's lips were blue and he was drifting in and out of consciousness.. The Denver teen has a confirmed case of Enterovirus 68, and the virus may now have spread to San Diego.
"We've seen a little cluster in our intensive care unit that we are suspecting, but we still do not have confirmation," infectious disease physician Dr. Alice Pong said.
At least three children at Rady Children's Hospital are currently being tested for this strain of the Enterovirus, which in some patients, can make breathing very difficult.
"As a parent, what you would look for would be young child struggling to breathe, and the skin above the clavicles would sink in as they're breathing," Dr. Stuart Breisch said.
Breisch says the virus tends to hit kids from 6 months to 16 years, and the rest of the symptoms are indistinguishable from a common cold, but children with pre-existing lung issues like asthma may end up in the hospital for several days.
The key to avoiding getting sick is the same as any illness: good hygiene.
"Washing the hands. Same thing with any kind of infectious disease -- the flu, pink eye. You never touch your mucus membranes, eyes, nose, mouth, without washing your hands first," Breisch said.
So far, there are more than 80 confirmed cases of Enterovirus 68 in six states, and at least seven other states sent samples to the CDC for testing.
Doctors say it will probably get worse before it gets better, with the virus expected to stick around until our weather changes, probably in October.
So in the meantime, you're asked to do your part to help keep this bad situation from getting worse.
"Don't go to school if you're sick. Keep your children home if they're ill," Pong said.
More information on this blog - http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/Health%20-%20Outbreaks%20-%20EV-D68%20Enterovirus
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