Around this time of year, the common cold begins its rounds in schools across the country. This year, however, hospitals in the Midwest are experiencing a strain of Enterovirus — which causes the common cold — so severe that unprecedented numbers of children are being hospitalized, according to a report from CNN.
Ten states have contacted the Centers for Disease Control and prevention for assistance in investigated the Enterovirus EV-D68 outbreak, including Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky.
In Kansas City, Mo., Children's Mercy Hospital is seeing 30 children each day with the virus, 15 percent of whom have been placed in intensive care. All told, the hospital has received nearly 500 cases of the virus recently. To cope with the influx of pediatric patients in the past month, the hospital is collaborating with other providers.
In Denver, more than 900 children have reported to Children's Hospital Colorado with the viral illness in the past month. Nearly 10 percent have been admitted to the pediatric unit, according to the report.
East Columbus, Ohio's Nationwide Children's Hospital is reporting a 20 percent increase in pediatric patients in the past week, and Hannibal (Mo.) Regional Hospital has also reported seeing a spike in Enterovirus patients. Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill., saw more than 70 children with respiratory issues last weekend, according to the report.
Of the various Enterovirus strains, EV-D68 is particularly rare, according to the report. The virus seems to be most dangerous for children with asthma or children under the age of five, and it may also attack the central nervous system in extreme cases, according to research on the strain.
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