Skip to content
Health
Link copied to clipboard

New Jersey reports first case of enterovirus D68

New Jersey has reported the state’s first case of enterovirus D68, a respiratory illness that has sickened hundreds of children across the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

New Jersey has reported the state's first case of enterovirus D68, a respiratory illness that has sickened hundreds of children across the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

The case of EV-D68 was identified in a New Jersey child from a specimen sent to the CDC from a Philadelphia hospital, officials said.

The child has since improved and been discharged, but New Jersey Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd is advising parents and health-care providers to be aware of the illness' symptoms, which include cough, runny nose, sneezing, muscle aches, and fever, and can range from mild to severe.

Those infected generally recover on their own, but some people, especially those with weakened immune systems or underlying conditions like asthma, may experience severe complications and require hospitalization.

"If you, or your child, are experiencing cold-like symptoms and are having difficulty breathing, contact your health-care provider right away," O'Dowd said in a statement.

In addition to New Jersey, 12 states had reported a total of 130 laboratory-confirmed cases of EV-D68 as of Wednesday, according to the CDC.

At least three confirmed cases of EV-D68 have been reported in Pennsylvania residents, all of them found in specimens sent to the CDC from a Philadelphia hospital, the state department of health announced Tuesday.

Although public health officials did not identify the hospital in which the EV-D68 patients from New Jersey and Pennsylvania were treated, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia released a statement Tuesday confirming it had admitted four children found to have been suffering from the illness.

All of those patients were discharged after inpatient stays ranging from two to six days, hospital officials said.

"The department is working with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health on this particular cluster and will continue to monitor the situation closely statewide, as we have been since cases have increased rapidly across the country in recent weeks," Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Carrie DeLone said in a statement.

New Jersey health officials said they are also monitoring hospitals across the state for increases in respiratory illnesses and have been in close contact with local health departments, health-care providers, childcare centers and schools over the past week.

The state is in the process of sending about a dozen specimens to the CDC for testing to determine if EV-D68 is present.

Though the virus has not yet been confirmed in Delaware, state health officials said last week that 12 children in New Castle, Sussex and Kent counties were hospitalized with an unknown virus, and that tests were being performed to determine whether EV-D68 was the culprit.

Though the CDC described enteroviruses as "very common," EV-D68 is believed to be more rare, officials said.

It is believed to be transmitted through close contact with an infected person, or by touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes.

There is no vaccine or specific antiviral medication for enterovirus infections. Preventive measures include practicing good hygiene, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, and avoiding close contact with those who are sick, officials said.