Possible enterovirus cases still await confirmation

St. Charles Bend said Friday it has treated two young children showing symptoms of the unusual enterovirus D68, a severe respiratory illness. It’s not clear yet if they did indeed suffer from that strain of the virus.

St. Charles officials were able to confirm that it was an enterovirus, but they are not able to test which particular strain it is. They sent the samples to the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. The results are expected by Saturday.

Symptoms of the virus include coughing, a runny nose and a fever, which are identical to symptoms of the common cold but could point to the enterovirus D68.

“The virus is causing a lot of children to go to the hospital to seek repository or ventilatory help,” Dr. Rebecca Sherer from St Charles Bend said Monday. “We are highly suspicious that the virus is in Central Oregon and that the CDC will confirm that in the next couple of days.”

Nationwide, 22 states have confirmed cases of the virus, including Washington and California. Of the over 160 cases confirmed so far, no one has died from the virus. Compare that to the flu, which causes thousands of deaths each year.

Still, parents are advised to watch symptoms closely.

“What we’re concerned about are those children that have a hard time breathing or experiencing wheezing,” said Heather Kaisner, communicable disease program supervisor with Deschutes County Public Health. “Most children are going to recover just fine, and it’s going to be like any other mild illness.”

Especially at risk are children with underlying health problems like asthma.

“It’s highly contagious like other viruses such as influenza and is spread in similar manner as influenza — coughing, sneezing, contact surfaces,” Sherer said.

There is no vaccine against the virus, but experts say there are things you can do.

“We can only emphasize the importance of hand hygiene like washing hands, etc.,” Sherer said.

While there is no vaccine against the enterovirus, doctors want to remind everyone that it is flu season, which is far more deadly than the enterovirus — and there is a vaccine against the flu.