Health officials say there’s only been about 100 confirmed cases of the upper-respiratory Enterovirus D68 since it was identified in the 1960s.
But in the past few weeks, hundreds of children in at least 12 states have been hospitalized with a serious respiratory infection, and doctors believe it’s a resurgence of the virus.
The early symptoms of EV-D68 are much like the common cold. Doctors said this virus can last longer, and cause major breathing problems, especially in children with asthma.
“Even patients with no prior respiratory illnesses, this virus has caused some asthma-like symptoms,” said Dr. Federico Laham, medical director of Infectious Diseases at Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children in Orlando.
Doctors said it’s possible there already are some cases of this illness here in Central Florida that have not been diagnosed, but they haven’t found any yet.
“As far as I know, we have not noticed a significant increase in patients coming in with upper respiratory symptoms,” said Dr. Laham.
With so much travel through Central Florida, local health officials are keeping a close eye on it.
“Since we are a travel destination and we have so many people here from different places, so the Florida Department of Health does have systems of surveillance in place,” said Mirna Chamorro with the Florida Department of Health.
There’s no quick test that can detect if a child has EV-D68. Doctors said if they start seeing a spike in cases, they’ll order advanced tests that can detect the virus in order to see if it has spread to the area. In the meantime, doctors say parents should keep sick kids home from school, and get their child back to the doctor if their breathing problems get worse.
“In cases where the child is having difficulty breathing, or is wheezing or gasping for air, people should contact their physician as soon as possible,” said Dr. Laham.