A virus called Enterovirus (EV-D68) is sweeping across the United States, likely infecting thousands of children.
The respiratory condition is sending asthmatic children to the hospital in 21 states, according to reports so far in the past three weeks.
However, the true scope of this outbreak is not known since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not require hospitals and labs to report cases. Also, not every child will experience the more severe symptoms of wheezing or difficulty breathing that would require emergency treatment.
After a panic broke out among parents from the Boro Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, the New York City Department of Health reported that there were no confirmed cases of the virus in the city.
A Department of Health spokesperson told the Brooklyn Eagle, “There are no confirmed cases in New York City. The Health Department is monitoring the situation and remains in frequent contact with the CDC, as well as hospitals, clinicians and laboratories.”
More than a dozen children outside the city have been infected, according to the state’s health department.
Symptoms are similar to a cold and can include fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing and body aches, but the illness is so unusual that there may be other unknown symptoms as well.
Children and adults should take the same precautions to prevent illness, such as washing hands frequently and disinfecting regularly touched surfaces like toys, door knobs and telephones.
S.C. Rhyne is a blogger and novelist in New York City. Follow the author on Twitter @ReporterandGirl, http://Facebook.com/TheReporterandTheGirl and visit her website at http://www.TheReporterandTheGirl.com
