As if we need to start the season off with a bang, the first potentialy deadly Enterovirus is attacking our children. According to the The Center for Decease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), a non-polio virus that causes severe respiratory illness in children, has been confirmed in an alarming number of children in Missouri and Kansas. Investigations are also underway in a dozen states throughout the midwest and west with possible cases of EV-D68.
Dr. Gail Shust, assistant professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, says, "The number of cases in the states that are affected is massive. We just have to see what happens to other states and how it spreads. The burden on the health care system of states where it's affected has been huge."
So far, Missouri and Illinois are the states most affected by enterovirus D68. According to the CDC, in August hospital officials at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri and University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital in Illinois notified the CDC about an increase in enterovirus cases that they were seeing. The CDC did further testing of specimens that were sent their way from the two hospitals and found that 19 of 22 from Kansas City and 11 of 14 from Chicago tested positive for enterovirus D68, also known as EVD-68.
This is really scary to me! To hear a specialist say, "We just have to see what happens to other states and how it spreads." That just sounds like, "yeah, it's bad and we have no idea what to do about it."
Here are a few things to know from the CDC about EV-D68...
Symptoms
- EV-D68 has been reported to cause mild to severe respiratory illness. However, the full spectrum of EV-D68 illness is not well-defined.
Transmission
- EV-D68 is not frequently identified, so it is less studied and the ways it spreads are not as well-understood as other enteroviruses. EV-D68 causes respiratory illness, and the virus can be found in respiratory secretions such as saliva, nasal mucus, or sputum. The virus likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches contaminated surfaces.
Treatment
- There is no specific treatment for EV-D68 infections.
- Many infections will be mild and self-limited, requiring only treatment of the symptoms.
- Some people with severe respiratory illness caused by EV-D68 may need to be hospitalized and receive intensive supportive therapy.
- No antiviral medications are currently available for treating of EV-D68 infections.
Prevention
- There are no vaccines for preventing EV-D68 infections.
- You can help protect yourself from respiratory illnesses by following these steps:
- Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick
And a special note to those asshole parents that take their kids to daycare or school sick, STOP IT!!!! You are making this worse! I know you have issues with taking time off of work, but this is serious, call a relative or friend, do all you can to keep your child from making mine and countless others sick...
