A respiratory virus [Enterovirus EV-D68] that has sent hundreds of children to hospitals in Missouri is causing alarm across the Midwest and beyond. . . .
The virus has sent more than 30 children a day to a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital, where about 15% of the youngsters were placed in intensive care, officials said. . . . .
The virus can start as just a cold. Signs include coughing, difficulty breathing and in some cases a rash. Sometimes they can be accompanied by fever or wheezing. . . .
"Most enteroviruses cause either a little bit of a cold or a diarrheal illness -- a few cause meningitis," said Schaffner. "This one is the, if you will, odd cousin. It causes prominent respiratory symptoms. Why it does that, we're really not sure."
The good news is that enteroviruses usually aren't deadly.
"All of these folks are going to get better," said Schaffner. "Some of them have more severe illness, such as these children who have developed asthma and are hospitalized. But they should all get better."
Many of the EV-D68 infections "will be mild and self-limited, requiring only symptomatic treatment," the Missouri health agency said.
Some cases could, in theory, contribute to death, but none of the Missouri cases have resulted in death and no data are available for overall morbidity and mortality from the virus in the United States, the agency said. . . .
The 10 states that have reached out to the CDC for assistance are Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. . . .
