Children living in states across the Midwest are going to the hospital in large numbers due to a respiratory virus, according to CNN.
What's been diagnosed as EV-D68, an enterovirus that presents symptoms like that of a strong cold, has now gotten the attention of the Centers for Disease Control because it has sent more than 30 children a day to hospitals in Kansas City, Mo., alone. Of those, 15 percent have been sent to intensive care.
The number of hospitalizations could be "just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases," Mark Pallansch, a CDC virologist, tells CNN. "We don't have all the answers yet."
Ten states, including Kansas, Colorado, Ohio and Oklahoma, have contacted the CDC for assistance.
A vaccine for EV-D68, unfortunately, isn't yet available, and there is "no specific treatment for infections," according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Children with asthma are more susceptible to the virus.
"Symptoms of the virus include coughing, difficulty breathing and a rash. Sometimes they can be accompanied by fever or wheezing," CNN reports.
Parents should take their children to the doctor if they develop a fever, rash or have difficulty breathing.
Photo via WMUR
