Tag Archives: Enterovirus-68

Mysterious Outbreak Spreads To 38 States

The mysterious viral illness that has been striking children has now spread to 38 states.

The Centers for Disease Control has confirmed 226 cases of enterovirus 68.  However, the CDC admits that many other children have likely been infected with the virus and was not severe enough to seek medical attention at a hospital.

Doctors say the reports of the CDC are the “tip of the iceberg” for the mysterious virus.

University of Chicago’s Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital has been forced to divert ambulances to other hospitals because the emergency room was filled with children suffering from severe respiratory illness.  It was the first time in 10 years the hospital had to divert ambulances.

Doctors say that while enteroviruses are common illnesses, enterovirus 68 is rare.

“Parents would love to know why this virus is causing severe disease and why there are more cases,” Rafal Tokarz, an associate research scientist at Columbia University who has studied the virus, told the New York Times, “but we won’t be able to answer that until a lot more research is done.”

Unusual Virus Strikes Kansas City Children

A mysterious respiratory virus has been striking children in the Kansas City area.

Children’s Mercy Hospital has confirmed hospitalizing up to 30 kids a day with the virus and the hospital is as full as during the heights of flu season.

One woman whose son was struck by the virus says that he was fine when he went to pre-school on Tuesday but soon had trouble breathing.

“You could see his ribs, and his stomach was pushing out really hard… I thought it was an asthma attack,” Pam Sheldon told Fox Kansas City.

The virus has been identified as Enterovirus-68.  The virus had been considered rare until the last few years when it had increased in worldwide appearance.  The virus is suspected as the cause of a polio-like disease in California in 2009 and can cause symptoms that mimic asthma to central nervous system attacks.

In some rare cases, the virus can be fatal.

There is no vaccine or anti-viral medication for Enterovirus-68 and the only thing that doctors can do for victims is supportive care such as oxygen.