In recent weeks, more than 1000 children have been sickened – some hospitalized – by a yet-to-be confirmed respiratory illness and doctors believe the virus could spread nationwide. Good Morning America reports that outbreaks of the disease have been seen in 10 states: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Oklahoma. Officials believe the disease is a rare and potentially fatal respiratory virus called human enteriovirus 68 and according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) it is in the same family as the rhinovirus which causes the common cold.
“This is a very common time for outbreaks. Kids come back to school, they like to share things, they bring them home to their little brothers and sisters, and enteroviruses tend to occur in the summer,” ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser said. “But this one, this particular Enterovirus 68, is very rare and they have no idea why it showed up this year.” Children under the age of five are most susceptible to the virus.
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Similar to the common cold, symptoms of enterovirus 68 include:
Runny nose
Coughing
Sneezing
Fever
However, this particular virus can quickly progress to more severe symptoms, including difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness. For children with asthma, contracting the virus is especially dangerous, causing wheezing and bringing on seasonal allergies.
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http://blackdoctor.org/447541/mysterious-r...
Posted By: Jeni Fa
Tuesday, September 16th 2014 at 12:24AM
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