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Unknown virus leaves some Iowa patients sick for weeks
Updated: 7:13 PM CDT Oct 6, 2026
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Pepper Purpura
DES MOINES, Iowa —
An unidentified illness is stumping medical professionals and keeping patients sick for weeks on end in the Des Moines area.
Janae Brown, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine on Ingersoll, said the clinic and attached urgent care are seeing multiple patients each day with runny noses, coughs and congestion. Many feel sick for about a week, but symptoms return soon after.
"What's strange is, we're seeing them come back in soon after with similar symptoms," Brown said. "They’re hanging on to this bug for around a month."
Brown said the cases do not appear to be COVID-19, flu or strep, and give negative results when she tests for those viruses or other common illnesses.
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www.kcci.com
Updated: 7:13 PM CDT Oct 6, 2026
Editorial Standards
Pepper Purpura
DES MOINES, Iowa —
An unidentified illness is stumping medical professionals and keeping patients sick for weeks on end in the Des Moines area.
Janae Brown, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine on Ingersoll, said the clinic and attached urgent care are seeing multiple patients each day with runny noses, coughs and congestion. Many feel sick for about a week, but symptoms return soon after.
"What's strange is, we're seeing them come back in soon after with similar symptoms," Brown said. "They’re hanging on to this bug for around a month."
Brown said the cases do not appear to be COVID-19, flu or strep, and give negative results when she tests for those viruses or other common illnesses.
...
Unknown virus leaves some Iowa patients sick for weeks
A runny nose, cough and congestion, but tests for common illnesses come back negative. What a Des Moines nurse practitioner says patients should know about an unidentified sickness sweeping the area.
www.kcci.com