An outbreak of respiratory infections in children has public health officials worried. Enterovirus D68 was discovered in the 1960s and did not appear to pose a particular threat. It resembled the family of viruses called rhinoviruses that produce common cold symptoms.
But this year, the CDC began detecting serious problems in children hospitalized in Chicago and Kansas City. Although their symptoms began like any upper respiratory infection, some youngsters developed wheezing and trouble breathing. Hundreds have ended up in emergency rooms and some have required mechanical breathing support and intensive care.
There is no vaccine for this virus and no medication will cure it. Supportive treatment is the only strategy available. Parents are urged to take their children to the hospital if they develop breathing difficulties. This will make cold and flu season much scarier, since it is so difficult to tell when cold symptoms might morph into something much more serious.
