South Dakota now has seven confirmed cases of the enterovirus D68. The respiratory bug has been sickening children in several states. The State Epidemiologist says all of South Dakota’s cases come from west river hospitals with patients ranging in age from eleven months to 19 years old.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Lon Kightlinger says health officials were expecting the virus to arrive in South Dakota. He says the confirmed cases tell physicians what they’re dealing with so they can better target their resources. He says there have been no deaths reported with the virus in the US. There’s no vaccine, but Kightlinger says it’s important to take steps to prevent the illness, especially for kids who have asthma.
“Parents should be mindful, and if their children have respiratory symptoms like coughing and sore throat and runny nose, keep an eye on your child,” Kightlinger says. “And if they become severely ill or have great difficulty breathing they need to see a doctor. And the physician will decide whether they need be hospitalized or not.”
Kightlinger says some of South Dakota’s confirmed cases come from specimens that were sent off to CDC labs in Atlanta over two weeks ago. He says officials are now following up to see if those patients are out of the hospital and healthy again.