CDC updates enterovirus D68 cases

The CDC and state public health laboratories now have confirmed 664 people from 45 states and the District of Columbia with respiratory illness caused by enterovirus D68, according to the CDC website.

Five patients have died and had enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) detected as of Oct. 8, according to the CDC. In one of the deaths, the New Jersey Department of Health and officials in Hamilton Township, N.J., reported on Oct. 3 that a Mercer County boy, aged 4 years, died on Sept. 25 and tested positive for EV-D68.

“While the child has tested positive for EV-D68, the cause of death has not yet been determined and it is unclear if EV-D68 played a direct role or was contributing factor in his death,” Mary E. O’Dowd, MPH, New Jersey health commissioner, said in a press release.

The rash of EV-D68 illnesses primarily has affected children and in some cases required hospitalization, particularly among individuals with a history of asthma and wheezing, the CDC reported.

“Parents and caregivers should be aware that children with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, may experience severe complications and require hospitalization with supportive therapy,” O’Dowd said.

The CDC also has reported on acute neurologic illness of unknown etiology in a cluster of children in Colorado, some of whom tested positive for EV-D68.