Children's Repiratory Virus 'Enterovirus 68' May Have Westchester Victims: Reports

The respiratory virus called enterovirus D68, which has affected children across the country, may have reached Westchester County, according to WABC-TV and media reports.

As many as five young patients, between the ages of 6 months and 6 years old, are currently believed to have the virus and are being treated at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, and all are doing well, reports WABC-TV.

The Journal News reports that the illness has not been confirmed in the patients, but the chances are strong that the illness has reached the area.

“We know there were positive cases in Albany, and I also know there were a lot of children who came to the emergency room in the last 24 hours in Poughkeepsie, so I think it’s likely a lot of these patients have enterovirus D68,” Dr. Allen J. Dozor, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Westchester Medical Center, told The Journal News.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there are 130 confirmed cases of the illness in the 12 states, including New York. The illness makes breathing difficult, especially for children already suffering from asthma, and can require life support devices in the most serious cases.

Click here for information on enterovirus D68 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Click here to read the full story on the WABC-TV website.

Click here to read the full story on The Journal News website.