Enterovirus D68 Case Confirmed in Connecticut

Update: Yale-New Haven Hospital had the confirmed patient, according to Fox CT.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that a Connecticut child has the Enterovirus D68 respiratory infection, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

The child was recently hospitalized, but has since been discharged.

It is likely the virus is causing respiratory illnesses across the state, according to the state DPH.

An official from the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center said last week that they were treating patients suspected to be infected with Enterovirus D68, according to NBC Connecticut.

“If your child is sick with a cold and having difficulty breathing, or their symptoms are getting worse, then contact your health care provider right away,” said state DPH Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen in a release. “If your child has asthma, make sure to follow the care plan your health care provider has already outlined.”

Danbury Hospital sent suspected specimens of the disease to the CDC earlier this week.

Most infected people do not get sick or have mild symptoms, according to the CDC. Some possible symptoms include: fever, running nose, sneezing, cough, skin rash, mouth blisters and body aches.

A total of 140 people from 16 states were confirmed to have the virus as of Sept. 17, according to the CDC. The 16 states with confirmed cases include Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.