First case of enterovirus D-68 confirmed in NYC

Disease has hospitalized kids across country

September 18, 2014 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

A nurse comforts a sick child. AP photo

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New York City Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed one case of enterovirus 68 (EV-D68) in New York City.

EV-D68, which can cause severe respiratory symptoms, especially in kids with asthma, has hospitalized more than a thousand children in the Midwest, and has recently been reported in upstate New York and New Jersey.

“We have been monitoring hospital admissions to detect changes in the number of children admitted for respiratory illness, asthma, and influenza-like illness,” DOH said in a statement Thursday.

While adults and some kids suffer only mild, cold-like symptoms, others may experience serious breathing difficulties.

“Parents should be on the lookout for difficulty breathing. That’s a warning sign,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s national center for immunization and respiratory diseases, said at a press briefing last Monday.

“Runny nose and the sniffles are not unexpected and that can be caused by many different things, but it if looks like your child is having difficulty breathing, you absolutely want to seek medical help.”

Though not unknown, enterovirus D-68 has been very rarely reported in the United States, Dr. Schuchat said.

“There’s no specific treatment for this, and many illnesses that are mild will resolve on their own. But others who have more severe illness may need to be hospitalized and require supportive care. Importantly, since we have identified asthma as a factor in some of the illnesses, we think it’s very important for asthma to be well treated and controlled,” Schuchat said.

Parents in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn panicked last weekend when they heard that one or more children in the area were seriously ill. DOH did not specify the location of the confirmed case.

“We remind New Yorkers that the best way to prevent the spread of many infectious diseases is through frequent and thorough hand washing,” DOH said on Monday. “Parents with concerns should consult their child’s doctor.”

No fatalities connected to the illness have been reported.

More information can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov