Report from RT (Link):- “The most populated US state confirmed its first batch of cases of the disease that has been spreading across the country, causing severe respiratory problems in infants and young children, according to the state’s chief health official.
Four children, ranging in age from 2 to 13 and all from Southern California, have confirmed cases of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). One of the patients is from Ventura County; the others are from San Diego County.
“There will definitely be more. It’s just a matter of time. This will spread across the entire country,” Dr. Pia Pannaraj, an infectious diseases specialist at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, told KTLA.
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Children who contract the virus may experience difficulty breathing and wheezing, particularly youngsters with asthma problems.
“These children start with what seems like a normal cold on the first day — runny nose, a little bit of cough – but by the second day, they can’t breathe at all. They come in and they need a tube to help them breathe,” Pannaraj said.
More cases are anticipated in the coming weeks.
“We are not surprised to find EV-D68 causing some illnesses in California given the apparent widespread nature of this virus in other parts of the country,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Parents have been advised by CDPH to consult a doctor immediately if they have children who are experiencing breathing difficulties (wheezing, difficulty speaking or eating, belly pulling in with breaths, blueness around the lips).
There is no specific treatment for EV-D68 sufferers, nor is there a vaccine to prevent it.”
