Kansas City, MO - Nurses and doctors in pediatric wards and children's hospitals in Kansas City have their hands full when respiratory virus identified as HEV 68 (human enterovirus 68) sickened hundreds of children in the city.
Since early last week, cases upon cases of children having breathing difficulties have been brought to hospitals in Kansas. One doctor even said that their hospital lists 30 new cases where symptoms of the respiratory virus are present every single day. As of writing, there are over 450 cases are recorded as children are continually brought to Kansas hospitals.
It has been found out that children who have conditions such as asthma suffer have more severe symptoms than those who don't. This calls for an even faster action from health officials in the city, especially that about 15 percent of the cases have resorted to getting the children under intensive care.
The CDC has already begun performing tests on the children. As of today, there are about 20 confirmed cases of the HEV 68 respiratory. More cases are expected to be confirmed as more children will be examined.
According to the CDC, the HEV 68 is a non-polio virus that often affects infants, children and teens. It causes somewhere between 10 to 15 million mild, often asymptomatic, cases all over the United States every year. The most commonly reported symptoms tied to the virus are fever, runny nose, flu, cough, blisters in and around the mouth and muscle pains.
The virus is known to share a huge majority of influenza symptoms. However, while influenza is most prevalent from the seasons of spring to fall, HEV 68 mostly hits its late into winter.
Because children are the virus' main targets, it is best for parents to keep tabs on their little ones, especially those who are going to school this fall. Also, since the outbreak children who are under 12 years old are not allowed to enter hospitals where both confirmed and non-confirmed cases of HEV 68 have been brought.