State health officials have confirmed four cases of a respiratory virus that has been sweeping through communities nationwide in Mobile County, part of a growing count of cases across Alabama as the illness continues to circulate among children this fall.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said four of six specimens collected from patients in Mobile County and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing came back positive for Enterovirus-D68. The virus has sickened thousands of children across the country in recent weeks, prompting hospitals and pediatric offices to watch closely for signs of severe respiratory distress.
Enterovirus-D68 typically begins like an ordinary cold, with a runny nose, cough, and mild fever, but it can progress quickly into something more serious, especially in children who already have breathing conditions such as asthma. Health officials say the virus can cause pronounced wheezing and labored breathing that sends families to the emergency room.
Nationally, more than 1,000 children have been hospitalized during the outbreak, with some cases described as serious, although no deaths had been reported as of the state health department’s update. Enteroviruses in general are common during the fall months, with the CDC estimating that 10 million to 15 million people are infected with some strain each year. What has set EV-D68 apart is the severity of the respiratory symptoms it can trigger in certain children.
Alabama health officials said they had been investigating reports of clusters of severe respiratory illness among children in both Mobile and north Alabama in the weeks leading up to the confirmed cases, monitoring closely as the virus made its way through the Southeast.
There is no vaccine for Enterovirus-D68, which means prevention comes down to the same basic hygiene steps recommended for cold and flu season. The health department is urging Mobile County parents to remind children to wash their hands frequently and to cover their mouths when coughing, both at school and at home.
Parents are also being urged to seek medical attention promptly if a child or any family member develops symptoms of severe respiratory illness, including difficulty breathing, wheezing, or a fever that will not break, rather than waiting to see if symptoms resolve on their own. With the school year in full swing and cases already confirmed locally, Mobile County families are being asked to stay alert through the fall months as the virus continues to spread.