Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

12 Confirmed Cases of Enterovirus-D68 in Connecticut

There have been 12 confirmed cases of Enterovirus-D68 in Connecticut, according to the state Department of Health. 

Officials from the state Department of Health said on Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an additional 11 cases of the virus that has sickened 277 people in 40 states and the District of Columbia since mid-August. 

Earlier this month, state health officials said the CDC had confirmed a pediatric case of the illness. A spokesperson from Yale-New Haven Hospital said a 6-year-old girl had been treated at the hospital for Enterovirus-D68.

Two cases have been confirmed at Danbury Hospital, according to Dr. Gregory Dworkin, who said positive test results were returned today. Both patients have been treated and released.

Dworkin said no additional test results are pending at Danbury Hospital.

A spokesperson from Yale-New Haven Hospital said Monday that seven cases have been confirmed at the hospital, and earlier this morning, officials at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center said three of the six samples they sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested positive for Enterovirus-D68.

The new cases are all pediatric patients from three Connecticut hospitals, according to the state Department of Public Health, and all patients have recovered and been discharged.

The DPH has reported a total of 13 confirmed cases in Connecticut, but numbers from the affected hospitals indicate 12 total cases statewide.

Enterovirus cases are common in the summer and fall and the number of infections drops later in the fall, according to the CDC.

Parents concerned about the virus can monitor their children for the following symptoms:

  • Runny nose, sneezing, coughing
  • Skin rash
  • Mouth blisters
  • Body and muscle aches
  • Fever

The state Department of Health recommends good hygiene to avoid becoming in, including:

  • Washing hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers, Avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Avoiding kissing, hugging and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick
  • Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.

More information about the non-polio enterovirus is posted on the CDC's Web site.

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