Rare virus getting close watch from PA medical community
(Harrisburg) — A virus known as EV 68, or human enterovirus 68, once detected in a small group of people around Philadelphia in 2009, is spreading across the country.
Hundreds of children in about a dozen states have tested positive for the rare illness.
The strain of the respiratory illness last appeared in Pennsylvania in 28 children at a Philadelphia pediatric hospital in 2009, sending 15 to the intensive care unit.
Doctor Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, says every case can demand a different course of action.
“There’s no specific treatment for this. And many illnesses that are mild will resolve on their own. But others who have more severe illness may need to be hospitalized and require supportive care.”
Like many other viruses, washing hands frequently and keeping children’s hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth can help slow the spread of EV 68.
Kids who are suspected of having the rare illness should talk with a medical professional. The virus is most often seen in young children, between four and five years old, but has been detected in those as old as 16.
This article originally appeared on witf.org.
