As children have returned to school for the fall season, cases of a rare respiratory illness continue to be reported in a mysterious epidemic that began over the summer. The symptoms are asthma-like, requiring some children to use respirators in order to breathe. At least five deaths due to the virus have been confirmed.
The illness is being caused by enterovirus D68. Since mid-August, at least 691 people across 46 states have been stricken with the virus.
This is the first time this particular strain of enterovirus has spread so rapidly over such a short amount of time, and hospitals do not have the facilities to check for D68. The CDC has been struggling with a backlog of samples that need to be tested to determine if the patients are positive for the strain, making diagnosis and proper treatment difficult.
