State health officials announced today that four Lake County children have been confirmed as having had enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), a respiratory illness which can be serious in individuals with underlying medical conditions, such as asthma. The individuals were treated at University of Chicago Hospital and were previously thought to be residents of Illinois. All four children have been discharged from the hospital.

Indiana counties/Cool10191
Indiana counties/Cool10191

The Indiana State Department of Health is working with local health departments and hospitals to conduct surveillance for additional cases of EV-D68. Testing for EV-D68 is being conducted at the State Laboratory. On Tuesday, the State health officials announced a higher than expected level of respiratory illness statewide for this time of year.

Indiana joins several other states in this multi-state outbreak, including Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and others. Enteroviruses are very common, with between 10 to 15 million cases occurring in the United States each year. There are more than 100 types of enteroviruses.

Typically, EV-D68 causes upper respiratory illness, such as low-grade fever, cough, runny nose, sneezing and body/muscle aches. Infected individuals generally recover on their own without incident by treating symptoms.  However, some individuals, especially those with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, may experience severe complications and require hospitalization with supportive therapy.

Enteroviruses, including EV-D68, are spread through close contact with infected people.

Related: Enterovirus D68 outbreak: New York confirms more than a dozen cases