Dive Brief:
- Hundreds of children have been sent to hospitals, mainly across the Midwest, by a respiratory virus over the past several weeks. The virus is thought to be the human enterovirus 68, which is characterized by symptoms like cough, fever, nasal congestion and sneezing, achiness, rash and blisters in the mouth.
- Since mid-August, more than 900 children have been treated for these kinds of symptoms. There have been confirmed cases of the EV-D68 in four states, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. Twelve others have contacted the CDC to investigate clusters of the virus: Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Utah.
- Most children with the virus have only mild symptoms. In severe cases in Missouri, at least 15% of children were cared for in the intensive care unit. Children with asthma and newborns with weaker immune systems have a higher risk of complications. No deaths have been reported and there is no vaccine available for the virus.
Dive Insight:
Mark Pallansch, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Viral Diseases., cautions providers that the abnormally high number of hospitalizations could be "just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases." In other words, this could be more widespread than it already looks.
For providers, it is important to note that the virus is spread through close contact with people who are infected. The virus sheds over a long period in the gastrointestinal tract, making it highly transmissible through fecal-oral contact. Providers can spread the word that careful hand washing, particularly after changing diapers, is important in areas where the virus is spreading. Some hospitals are taking further preventative measures to limit the risk of infection: Blessing Hospital in Quincy, IL has placed restrictions on children visiting patients this week.