The outbreak of the respiratory virus, Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has now been confirmed in 43 states and the District of Columbia, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update today.
As of today, 514 people have been confirmed positive for the viral disease. The 43 states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
EV-D68 has been detected in specimens from four patients who died and had samples submitted for testing. The role that EV-D68 infection played in these deaths is unclear at this time; state and local health departments are continuing to investigate.
EV-D68 was first identified in 1962. It has occurred infrequently since that time, although from 2008-2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on six clusters of EV-D68 in the Philippines, Japan, the Netherlands, and three US states (Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona). The clusters appeared to be concentrated in the fall. Four of the six outbreaks only reported infected children, one outbreak reported only infected adults and one outbreak involved both adults and children. Patients in these clusters often had new onset or worsening wheezing. Hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units were noted and three individuals died.
