Respiratory illnesses caused by an enterovirus are sending hundreds of children to hospitals throughout the Midwest and Southeast, health officials say.


Twelve states are reporting clusters of enterovirus illness: Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Utah.


Four of those states — Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa — have confirmed cases of Enterovirus D68, also known as EV-D68.


Enteroviruses, which can cause a variety of symptoms, aren’t unusual. If you’ve ever had a bad summer cold, it was likely caused by an enterovirus. The CDC estimates there are 10 to 15 million viral infections each year in the United States. The season often hits its peak in September.


“It’s important to remember that these infections are very common,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general for the U.S. Public Health Service and the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.


But this particular type of enterovirus — EV-D68 — is less common. And health officials are concerned by the number of hospitalizations it has caused this year. read more ->

Attachments
REBEL!
Back To Top
TOP