CNN
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Physicians should prepare for a possible increase in young cases of enterovirus D68, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
New CDC data show an increase in acute respiratory illnesses and emergency department visits in children and adolescents caused by rhinoviruses and enteroviruses this summer. This elevation can be attributed more specifically to enterovirus D68, which in rare cases can lead to acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).
“Medical facilities should prepare for the potential for increased use of pediatric care associated with severe EV-D68-related respiratory illness,” the CDC said in it Tuesday. Weekly reports of morbidity and mortality. “Increased distribution of EV-D68 in the past has also been associated with increased reports of AFM.”
AFM causes weakness and paralysis of the arms and legs.
CDC has detected an increase in enterovirus D68 every two years, this month, the agency warned doctors to beware of infection. Viruses tend to peak in late summer and fall.
Data show that positive rhinovirus/enterovirus test results “appear to be increasing at a rate comparable to previous EV-D68 outbreak years,” doubling in the weeks leading up to early September. The CDC said it has.
“In 2014, widespread outbreaks of EV-D68 in the United States were associated with similar increases in medically treated severe respiratory illness and asthma exacerbations, which were associated with increased AFM cases,” they report. the book says.
In addition to testing for AFM, health care providers are urged to test poliovirus in persons suspected of having AFM because of similar symptoms.
Enterovirus D68 causes symptoms that mirror those of the common cold, such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and sometimes fever. Doctors should take special measures for diagnosis.
