MOBILE, Alabama — Doctors at University of South Alabama Children’s & Women’s Hospital have confirmed six cases of the respiratory illness enterovirus D68, part of an unusually large wave of young patients showing up with breathing problems over the past several weeks.
A sharp rise in patients
The Mobile County Health Department confirmed the six positive tests this week. Hospital physicians said the facility has treated 345 patients with respiratory symptoms since mid-August, with 40 to 50 of those children admitted for one or two nights because of severe wheezing and related complications. Additional samples had been sent to the health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further testing.
An unusual pattern for a common virus
Enterovirus strains are common and typically do not cause serious respiratory illness, according to the hospital’s pediatric infectious disease specialist. What has alarmed doctors this time is the sheer volume of children arriving with lower respiratory tract symptoms rather than the milder, cold-like illness usually associated with these viruses. The strain behind the current outbreak was first identified decades ago and has caused sporadic clusters of illness in other parts of the country over the years, but staff say they have not previously seen a surge this widespread locally. Most affected patients are school-age children and teenagers.
Who is most at risk
Physicians say children with a history of asthma appear especially vulnerable, with symptoms ranging from typical cold-like congestion to severe wheezing and respiratory distress. Some children have also developed fevers or a mild rash on the torso and palms. In many cases, particularly among healthy children without asthma, symptoms have been mild enough to manage at home, and adults who contract the virus are unlikely to need medical treatment at all. No deaths connected to the outbreak had been reported as of this week.
State health officials also investigating
State health authorities said they are looking into two separate clusters of pediatric respiratory illness, one centered in the Mobile area and another in north Alabama, as part of a broader effort to understand the scope of the outbreak across the state.
Guidance for worried parents
Hospital officials said emergency room wait times have grown noticeably longer because of the volume of cases. They are urging parents to treat mild cold symptoms at home with over-the-counter medication and to call their child’s regular pediatrician first rather than heading straight to the emergency department. However, families were advised to seek immediate medical attention if a child is struggling to breathe, remains wheezy after using rescue inhalers or breathing treatments, or has a high fever that will not respond to standard medication.