Danbury Hospital Sending Specimens to CDC to Test for Enterovirus

Danbury Hospital is sending specimens to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to be tested for enterovirus, NBC CT News reports.

This is the second hospital in a week to report possible cases of the virus. State officials said the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford has also sent specimens to be tested for the mysterious flu-like illness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 130 people with lab-confirmed cases. Infants, children and teens are most at risk for becoming infected due to their compromised immune systems.

The enterovirus-68 virus is a respiratory illness that starts like the common cold but then gets progressively worse.

Doctors at Danbury Hospital said a child with a cold was recently admitted and was given a swab test that was sent to the CDC for testing, according to WFSB. The results from the two hospitals are expected to be ready by the end of the week.

Photo: Danbury Hospital Facebook