Enterovirus respiratory illness hits 12 states, still spreading
Health officials say 12 states now have seen cases enterovirus 68, an uncommon virus that causes serious respiratory illness. The outbreak began in the Midwest but cases are now confirmed from Colorado to the Northeast and in several states in the South.
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania together have 130 lab-confirmed cases. All of the patients are children.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told CBS Philadelphia that they have treated five children with severe respiratory illness and lab results confirmed that four of the patients have contracted the enterovirus. The hospital said all of the patients were discharged after four to six days of treatment.
The virus can cause mild to severe illness, with the worst cases needing life support for breathing difficulties. Kids with asthma have been especially vulnerable. No deaths have been reported.
"It is a rare strain of a very common virus," CBS News medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips told "CBS This Morning" last week. "The most important thing to pick up on is any difficulty breathing. Wheezing or a cough that just won't stop, those are the warning signs and parents should have a low threshold for heading to the hospital with that."
The strain is not new, but since mid-August, there's been an unusual spike in identified cases. The CDC has tested more than 200 specimens from more than 30 states. Investigators say it's not yet clear what triggered the outbreak or whether it's worsening. Only a small number of labs are equipped to test for it.
Dr. Gail Shust, assistant professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, told CBS News last week that hand-washing is one of the easiest ways to avoid the virus. Adults and kids should use hand sanitizer and frequently disinfect communal surfaces to avoid infection.