Update: 2 Enfield Students Diagnosed with Enterovirus

Two Enfield elementary school students reportedly have been diagnosed with the enterovirus 68, according to report.

A Nathan Hale Elementary School student has contracted the enterovirus 68, according to a WFSB report. And on Thursday morning, NBC Connecticut reported that a second student who attends Henry Barnard Elementary School was released from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center on Wednesday night after being treated for the virus that causes severe inflammation in the airways, wheezing and difficulty breathing to teens and children.

On Sept. 30, the Nathan Hale principal notified parents via letter that “A case has been reported in your child’s school,” referring to recent confirmed cases of the virus , according to WFSB. Symptoms usually last about a week.

So far, there have been 13 confirmed cases of the virus in Connecticut and more than 500 in 42 states, according to the Center for Disease Control.

In a Sept. 26 letter to parents, the district’s nursing supervisor Trisha Vayda provided parents with tips on how to minimize the spread of the flu. The district has not posted any information on its website regarding either of the enterovirus cases.

Here is Vayda’s letter, posted on the Enfield Public Schools website under health alerts:

We are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in the Enfield Public Schools. Here are a few things you can do to help.

· Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap & water or an alcohol based hand rub;

· Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils ;

· Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. If a tissue is not available, coughs and sneezes should be covered up with an elbow, arm or sleeve instead of their hand;

· Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100°, 37.8°C or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea;

· Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without using fever reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will help reduce the number of people who may get infected. They should also be home for at least 24 hours after any vomiting or diarrhea;

· Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any child, who is determined to be sick while at school, will be sent home.

The complete WFSB report can be found here and the NBC Connecticut report here.

*Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include information about the second enterovirus case.

Have a news tip? Email barbara.heins@patch.com. You can also post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions. Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.