The Enterovirus D68 is spreading across North America. Thousands of children across the U.S. are reporting respiratory problems and have been found to be affected by this hitherto rare virus in this part of the world. More than 100 cases have been confirmed in America alone, though many more are suspected. And now Alberta Health Services has confirmed 18 cases of this outbreak in Canada.
What is Enterovirus D68? What is responsible for this outbreak, who is it affecting the most, and how is it treated? More importantly, should we be worried about this latest development? Let’s find out.
What is Enterovirus D68?
Enterovirus D68 is a virus that results in flu-like symptoms, but it is more serious than the common cold. It causes sneezing, a runny nose, fever, body ache, and respiratory conditions like wheezing, and it is particularly serious for children suffering from asthma.
EV-D68 is one of the many enterovirus strains that collectively affect 10‒15 million children every year. Though EV-D68 was first identified in California in 1962, it has rarely been found in this part of the world. And while adults can catch it, too, it typically hits children between six weeks and 16 years old.
Officially the number of children suffering from this illness has been put just above 100, but healthcare workers across the U.S. fear thousands of children may have already contracted it. The virus, which surfaces during summer and fall, is spreading fast across the Midwest and is expected to further spread via schools as more children come in contact with each other. Enteroviruses themselves are hardly uncommon and are known to spread quickly among school-going children every year around the start of the academic year. This time, however, the prevalence of EV-D68 has made matters slightly different.
Viruses usually spread very rapidly via touching contaminated surfaces or coming in contact with those who have already been infected. EV-D68 primarily spreads via respiratory secretions such as saliva, mucus, and sputum. Young children who are exposed to the sneezes and coughs of classmates who have already picked up the virus are at high risk of falling sick themselves. Since kids are also rather indiscriminate when it comes to touching surfaces and then touching their own faces with those hands, they make very good carriers for these viruses.
Because it is children who are the most affected by EV-D68, parents have a special role to play in keeping them safe. Parents can protect their children from this virus by ensuring they wash their hands with medicated soap every half hour. They should be kept away from those who have already been infected by the virus. Schools should carry out extensive and frequent disinfecting of various surfaces that become breeding grounds for viruses, i.e., tables, doorknobs, taps, toilet seats, etc. An infographic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may help.
How is Enterovirus D68 treated?
EV-D68 is treated much in the same way the common cold is treated, meaning it has its lifecycle that we have to see through, which takes about a week.
Due to the rarity of the prevalence of this strain of enterovirus in America, there are not yet any vaccines or antiviral medication that would specifically treat EV-D68. Healthcare practitioners suggest standard over-the-counter medications for pain and fever. In cases of those suffering from wheezing and belabored breathing, however, OTC medication is not advised. A doctor should be seen immediately; hospitalization may be required and the child may need to be put on a ventilator to aid breathing.
Should we be worried?
There certainly is no reason to panic, according to Dr. Jana Shaw, a pediatric infectious disease specialist from Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, New York. Not all cases of enterovirus result in serious implications. Often, children are able to carry out their daily activities without any problem, as they would if they had a common cold. However, when the breathing becomes problematic, as it does in the case of asthmatic children, parents should take notice and consult their doctor.
While the spread of this particular strain of virus in North America is unusual, millions of children around the world get infected and recover from it well.
The widespread anxiety among parents of school-going children that we are witnessing has more to do with the fact that as a country we have been caught off-guard. Since EV-D68 is not commonly found in North America, we don’t know it well. However, the CDC has said it is “working with state and local health departments and clinical and state laboratories to enhance their capacity to identify and investigate outbreaks, and perform diagnostic and molecular typing tests to improve detection of enteroviruses and enhance surveillance.”
The virus, in the meantime, continues to spread. Doctors don’t know what to expect and this is an evolving situation from which the medical community is learning, though some experts are confident they are well-equipped to deal with this outbreak. It certainly is a relief that the strain is not deadly and only causes serious symptoms in children with preexisting health conditions.
Conclusion
Parents should be on guard more than usual this fall to keep their kids safe and healthy. They should take particular care if a child is asthmatic. Healthcare practitioners should send samples for laboratory testing to ascertain if the EV-D68 is at work behind the flu-like cases they receive. It is a developing situation, but as of now there doesn’t seem to be much need to worry, though there certainly is a heightened need to take precautions.
Michael Georgiou is a dynamic business and marketing professional in the marketing division of Wilson Law, PA based in Raleigh, NC. He is an entrepreneurial guru with a proven success record in creative strategy, online branding, project management, and communication projects in both public and private sectors.