Two Confirmed Cases of Enterovirus 68 in Alameda County

Two cases of enterovirus 68 have been confirmed in Alameda County and both involve patients ages 18 or younger, county health officials said today. The virus, a respiratory illness that can initially appear similar to a common cold, has been reported in at least 500 cases across 42 states in the U.S., Dr. Erica Pan, Alameda County’s director of communicable disease control and planning, said at a news conference in Oakland today.

The two confirmed cases are the first in Northern California this year. There have been six such cases in Southern California, Pan said. There is no antiviral medications currently available for people who are infected with enterovirus 68, she said. Pan said she was “not surprised at all” about the virus showing up in Alameda County because of the other cases across the nation recently but said residents “should not be alarmed.”

Public health officials encourage residents to wash their hands with soap and water regularly and avoid close contact with people who might be sick. There have been no deaths reported as a result of enterovirus 68 in the U.S. this year, Pan said.

By Bay City News

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